Nightengale - how we respond when life gets hard

Felicity Wilson had a perfect life. I mean, if you count being married to a man who she couldn't respect as being a "perfect" life. Lots of women would have thought her crazy for her lack of contentment. Really, she thought herself kind of crazy for her complaints.

What does a woman need in a man? Someone who provides for the family, takes an interest in the kids, rises in prestige in the community. She wasn't a child. She could set aside her emotional interests and learn gratitude for her husband, Brendon - especially since there were three young children who required the stability of their marriage.

Besides, Felicity knew how marriage worked. Most people lost the initial euphoria of love, and hopefully a depth developed between a couple as they shared life and experiences. For almost fifteen years as a couple - two dating and thirteen married - Felicity had waited for the depth. At some point, she realized that it wasn't going to come, but by that time she wasn't willing to upset the family. She and Brendon would work together to raise the kids and would hopefully remain friends with benefits until they could dedicate more time to their own relationship.

Brendon, though, didn't seem to share her agenda.

Brendon held an agenda his own, and it largely revolved around climbing the corporate ladder so he could gain wealth and influence. How exactly did that kind of priority integrate with family life? Sure, some men did it, but Brendon didn't even seem to try. Instead, he turned the family into another tool to increase his prestige.

Maybe before the accident he had tried harder.

Once his family image held a blemish, though - a broken and crippled child, relegated to dependency by the selfishness of his sibling - Brendon left every way but physically. Felicity had thought he would get over it. She had thought he was just struggling and needed to recover. She had thought that his anger and criticism would fade. She had thought she could protect the kids.

She couldn't do it, though - protect them.

Not once it became very apparent that she couldn't even protect herself.

Marriage is complicated under the best circumstances. Sometimes, bad circumstances interrupt a good marriage. Sometimes, bad marriages make bad circumstances. Sometimes the circumstances turn deadly, and sometimes the transition can happen in an instant.

For Felicity, the battle began one day as she was whisked away for what had seemed a romantic getaway.

For Felicity, the battle would reveal who she really was - who she would become to survive. She only prayed that she would recognize herself when the war was over.