A few minutes later her car rolled away.

The episode left me rattled.

My counselor later helped me name why: Agnes had tried to turn my need for boundaries into an accusation that I was cruel.

Naming the pattern didn’t magically erase it, but it made the next conversation easier to prepare for.

PART 11: The Appointment Lucas Did Not Expect

At my two-week postpartum follow-up, the clinician said my incision was healing but that I still needed to avoid overexertion.

I described how quickly I had become overwhelmed after discharge.