His Penny-Pinching, My Power

e. My daughter, Lily, was asleep in the transparent bassinet beside me, her chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm that felt a world away from the chaos o

r a second, a brief, dismissive look, before his eyes l

fog of painkillers

m, I just had

d on my nerves. "But we need to sort this out. The C-section costs more than

" a modern, progressive approach, he' d claimed. We would split all child-related costs fifty-fifty, right down the middle. He said it would empower me, prove that I was an equal partner, not just a dependent m

oice trembling slightly. "The baby was in d

nted the epidural so early. Maybe if you hadn't, you would have had the strength to push her out yourself

ly up my failure. The casual cruelty of it all left me speechless. My baby wa

go to the home Tom and I shared, but to my p

es full of a warmth that I was desperately missing f

changing table. They fussed over me, bringing me meals in bed, changing

s bought groceries, he helped himself. He never offered to chip in for utilities or food. He treated their home like a free hotel with built-in

ula, a pack of diapers, a onesie-all split down to the penny. He' d transfer his half for the items, but never for the gas to go buy them or the

we moved in, Tom came home and

ee her," he sai

dly for a few moments before

, Tom," she said with a

to me, as if she were a hot po

eyes. A quiet, cold anger was solidifying inside me. He wasn' t a father.

me on his phone when Lily started to fus

e," I cooed. "Look

up. His fingers fr

you just

of the dad stuff, do you? You' re more like the fun uncle who shows

crossed his face. But my parents were in the room.

ake laugh. "Funny,

could see the tension in his sh

gone to bed, he cornered me in the ha

oice low and angry. "Calling me 'Uncle' ? Are you

oice just as quiet but sharp. "Or do

ng the door behind me, the soft click echoing in the silent house. The

ing the door open be

his, Sarah. This isn't fa

love. Not just the bills. You haven' t changed a single diaper unless my mom cornered you. You' ve held your daughter for maybe ten minutes

e for this family!" he sh

My parents are providing it. The food you eat? My parents provide it. You' re not providing anyth

his would be an issue if you' d just given birth normally. We wouldn' t have the extra hospital bill, you

nience he had to endure. In that moment, any lingering warmth I had for him evaporated, leaving behi