I Thought My Marriage Was Perfect—Until My Best Friend Asked Me One Simple Question

I once believed my marriage was perfect until a friend posed a simple question.

I married young, swept up in love. Wed been together for four years before tying the knot, sharing countless ups and downs.

Weve lived together for over six years now. I trust my husband completely, just as I trust myself. Hes kind, caring, and thoughtfulalways helping with chores around the house. He isnt the bravest or strongest of men, nor would I call him particularly handsome, but his soul is strikingly gentle, brimming with optimism and faith in goodness. That alone has given me strength to weather lifes hardest storms.

Yet hes indecisive, utterly unwilling to step out of his comfort zone or move forward. Hes painfully shy, too. In all our years together, he hasnt changed a bit.

He neglects his health and fears any change, big or small. My husband is nearly ten years my senior. At twenty-six, I love lifeIve built a great career, bought my own car, and were paying off the mortgage on our house in Manchester. Then, just the other day, my friend asked me, What do you even need him for?

That question shattered my happiness. Now I sit here, wondering, What *do* I need him for?

Sometimes, the most unsettling questions reveal the answers weve been avoiding all along.