Standing outside that cabin door, all those warnings crashed down on me. Yesterday had been a normal video call where he’d told me he missed me. So I decided, just once, to put my desires first, to see his face light up when I arrived unexpected. The journey had been a nightmare of delays, but I’d clung to the image of his surprised face.

Now, paralyzed outside the door, the rest of their conversation sealed my fate.

“How much is the policy for again?” his friend asked.

“Two million,” David replied. “Took some convincing to get her to sign. Told her it was about our future family.”

“Dude, that’s cold,” another voice said, chuckling.