The footage revealed nothing of the horror I feared, but it did expose the silent battle my husband was facing. The next day, equipped with this new understanding, I approached him. It took time, patience, and a lot of encouragement, but he eventually opened up. He had been dealing with overwhelming stress at work, compounded by feelings of inadequacy as a husband and father. He had withdrawn, not because he didn’t care, but because he felt he was failing us—his family.

Together, we sought help. Counseling provided him with tools to manage his stress and emotions, and gradually, he began to reconnect with our daughter. Our weekends transformed from tense and worrisome to joyful family outings.