At her family barbecue, Nicole laughed in front of…

“Oh, honey, we all say that sometimes.”

But she was not joking. I could tell by the way her eyes stayed fixed on me, daring me to react. And so I did.

“Yeah,” I said calmly, setting down my drink. “I regret it, too. That’s why I’m ending it.”

Silence.

Even the sizzling from the grill seemed to stop. Her smile faltered. “What?” she whispered, her face paling under the sun.

“You heard me,” I said, still smiling. “You regret marrying me, and I regret staying married to someone who feels that way. Problem solved.”

Her uncle’s beer froze halfway to his lips.

Her brother muttered, “You’re kidding, right?”

But I was not. I had reached the point where being quiet was no longer strength. It was surrender, and I was done surrendering.