I Went to Surprise My Husband at Work – But His Colleague Asked Me with Tears in His Eyes, ‘He Hasn’t Told You Anything, Has He?’

He wiped his cheek.

“He’s my best friend, Chelsea. I thought you knew.”

***

Ben and I had been married for eleven years.

I had spent every one of them sharing him with that hospital.

He was a gifted surgeon, and I was proud that the man I loved helped people through some of the worst days of their lives.

“You’re crying because he’s leaving.”

But over the past year, I had started wrapping up his dinner before I even sat down to eat mine.

He missed Thanksgiving, our anniversary, and our daughter Olive’s eighth birthday.

Sometimes he didn’t come home at all.

“We’re short-staffed, honey. Please don’t wait up.”

Whenever he finally crawled into bed, he looked so exhausted I swallowed every complaint.

Once, I woke to find him sitting on the edge of the mattress, his shoulders shaking.

“We’re short-staffed, honey.”

“Ben?”

He wiped his face before turning around.