After My Lesson, He Begged for Forgiveness on His Knees

My husband didn’t anticipate that I would defend our kids and myself when he offered me a terrifying ultimatum. I showed him that he was being unreasonable when we already had so much to be thankful for. He begged ME for pity as his ultimatum came to an end!
I never imagined myself in this situation, but here I am, facing a decision. My spouse’s one demand put me in a tight spot and forced me to take extreme steps. But I had to take action because of that demand.

Danny, my spouse, has consistently been a successful businessman and a loving father. He works long hours at the workplace and has been a good provider for our family. I can now raise our five lovely girls while being a stay-at-home mother because of this.

However, his aspirations to have a son “to carry on the family name” have evolved into demands in recent times. And now those requests are transformed into threats!
One evening after supper he stated, “Lisa, we NEED to have a sixth child.” He spoke in a somber, even icy tone.

“We already have FIVE daughters, Danny. Do you want me to continue bearing children until we get a son? I answered, sensing the anxiety building.
“However, don’t kids bring you blessings? Is it truly that difficult?” His remarks hurt. Even though we’ve argued over this a lot in the past, something felt off this time. It had the air of an ultimatum. We kept going around in circles, neither of us ready to give up on our decisions.

He threatened to consider DIVORCING me if I refused to have a son for him, that’s how bad our disagreement was! “Are you saying you’d leave me if I don’t give you a son?” My voice trembled as I asked.
He murmured, “I didn’t say THAT,” and averted his gaze. However, the inference was evident. If I didn’t do as HIS wishes dictated, he was open to the possibility of divorce. We said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways to get ready for bed after that.

I lay awake that night thinking about our chat. How could he treat the life we’d created together with such contempt? All of our daughters are vibrant, individual, and extraordinary. I can’t think of our family in any other manner.
I had to explain to him what he was requesting of me, of the two of us. Furthermore, what do you know? I thought of a clever method to SHOW him exactly what it means to raise five kids by yourself before I closed my eyes and went to sleep!

I got up extra early the very next day, while everyone was still asleep. I drove to my late mother’s old country home after packing my bags. I ignored all of his texts and calls and turned off the ringer on my phone.
“The Drama That Unfolds When You Leave Your Husband at Home Alone with Five Children” is my favorite show of the day, so I settled in to watch it after making myself breakfast and a steaming cup of coffee. With the security cameras we had installed at our house, I was able to observe everything in real time.

A RUDE awakening was in store for Danny! As soon as he was awake, he got ready for work. But when he heard the kids making a commotion, he put an end to his plans. He addressed our rascals, “Where’s your mother and why aren’t y’all dressed and ready for breakfast?”
When my babies disregarded him and carried on playing and jumping on beds, it made me proud. My spouse called my name and searched for me before realizing I wasn’t at home. Then he began phoning me, and I saw the call go through.

He was irate and exclaimed, “What the hell, Lisa,” before hanging up after the sixth missed call. He was unable to leave our small kids alone, thus he was unable to go to work. The first morning was a total bust and hilarious!
When he attempted to prepare breakfast, he burned the toast and ruined the orange juice all over the place! The children were playing and without bothering to put on clothes. I was having a blast, and he was utterly overwhelmed!
“Stop running, Emma! Please put on your shoes, Jessica. I heard him yelling, his voice strained.

“Daddy, I don’t like this cereal!” Emily pushed her bowl away and whimpered.
Then, irritated, he said, “Then WHAT do you want?”
She yelled, “I want pancakes!” Danny massaged his temples and moaned.
“Fine, I’ll make pancakes.”
Little Jessica added, “I want scrambled eggs and cake!” after feeling left out.
Ever the social butterfly, Emma insisted, “Waffles and fresh cream, please!”

I was positive that if his temples were hurting previously, they were now throbbing! The situation became worse during the course of the day! He attempted to assist them with their online coursework, but they were constantly getting sidetracked and leaving!
He begged, “Jessica, please concentrate on your math homework.”
“Daddy, I don’t understand it,” the girl exclaimed. He sat next to her and gazed at the TV.
“Okay, let’s figure it out together.” In the middle of tending to the kids, a call from work arrived.

Based on the discussion and Danny’s sincere apologies, it appeared that he had neglected to record his own absence for the day! My spouse was unable to determine what our kids preferred to eat for lunch. They ultimately had a picnic with inane munchies as a result.
“Can we have peanut butter and jelly?” Emma asked.
He said, “I’m not sure we have any,” as he looked in the pantry.
She said, “How about just jelly?” Although watching Danny suffer in this way was heartbreaking, it was well worth the laughs!
He appeared to be about to lose it, and the house was a complete mess with toys all over the place! He moaned, “Why is there Play-Doh on the carpet?”

Jessica said, “I don’t know, ask Emily.” Emily began reciting all the reasons why she wasn’t the culprit as soon as she heard her name!
“I exclusively use blue and purple Play-Doh to play. I just walked a little bit on the carpet in one place; I wasn’t sitting on it. “I” My spouse jokingly interrupted her before she could say anything further. “All right, Emily! Alright, I understand! Would you kindly take it down for Daddy?”
The girls decided to dress up in the evening, and Danny HAD to join in! They made him pretend to be a princess while donning a feather boa and tiara!
“Daddy, you look SO pretty!” Emily chuckled.
He mumbled, “This is ridiculous,” yet he grinned at their happiness.

My spouse appeared disoriented and really worn out. The very last straw was bedtime! They continued slinking out of their rooms, insisted on stories, and DEMANDED to go to bed! I was so proud!
Emma pleaded, “Just one more story, Daddy.”
“Okay, but THEN it’s really time for bed,” he said, growing impatient. Danny was clearly on the edge of collapse by the end of the second day! He began pleading with me in his desperate messages to return and assist.
“My angel, please, I can’t do this alone,” he wrote in a message. He even submitted a video of himself pleading for mercy while on his knees.
“My dear, I apologize. I need you, so please come home.” The fact that he recorded the video in our closed bathroom while the children DEMANDED he come outside and play added to the humor of the footage!

I made up my mind to head home. Danny was the first person to come to me when I went in; he looked more relieved than I had ever seen!
“I really apologize,” he said. “I won’t pressure you about having a son anymore.” He squeezed me till I was nearly out of breath!
“I realize now how much you do, and I promise to spend more time with the family,” he pledged. I felt moved.
“If you truly promise to spend more time with us and help out more, we can discuss the POSSIBILITY of a sixth child,” I replied.

He gave a forceful nod. “I swear and I promise. Just just don’t ever leave me with them alone for so long again.” He fulfilled his word from that day on, and we both chuckled. He showed greater interest in our family and an appreciation for the labor-intensive nature of raising our current children.
Positive changes started to occur in our life. In an effort to be more present, Danny started arriving home from work early and occasionally worked from home. He took on nighttime responsibilities, attended school functions, and assisted with homework!
To the awe of our girls, my once-misled spouse even learned how to braid hair!
“Look, Mother! My hair was braided by my dad.” One morning, Jessica smiled.
“Darling, you did a great job,” I said.
Danny gave me a gentle smile as we sat around the breakfast table one Saturday morning.
He said, “I’ve been thinking.” Perhaps having a son isn’t the main reason. Maybe it has to do with appreciating our family.”

I returned the smile, a wave of warmth coursing through my chest. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Danny.” We carried on having breakfast while chatting and laughing, the stress of the previous few weeks dissipating. We discovered true satisfaction during those carefree times spent with our girls.
My spouse never again broached the subject of having a sixth kid after months had passed. He had undergone a transformation, showing greater involvement and closeness to our family than before. He was loved by the girls, and there was laughing and happiness in our house.

“Daddy, will you come to my dance recital?” One day Emily asked.
Of course, my love. “I swear, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” And he fulfilled his word! Every school play, every soccer match, and every recital he attended. His renewed love and care allowed our daughters to grow and thrive.
Danny held my hand one evening while we watched our daughters play in the backyard. “Thank you, Lisa,” he murmured. “For everything.” Tears were starting to spring up in my eyes as I squeezed his fingers.
“I appreciate your understanding,” I answered.

Although our path wasn’t simple, it helped us get closer. My spouse gained an appreciation for his family. And I mustered the courage to defend our daughters as well as myself. We were more resilient than ever, equipped to handle any difficulties life presented.
And I knew we had found our happily ever after as we sat there under the evening sun, watching our girls chase fireflies.