My husband abandoned our baby and me at the airport, choosing to take our family vacation solo. Little did he know, his “relaxing” trip was about to turn into a nightmare — and his return home would be even more dreadful.

I stood in the airport, holding Sophia as she wailed. Where was Ryan? Suddenly, a selfie popped up on my phone: Ryan, grinning on the plane. “I needed this vacation. Come on the next flight,” it read.

My jaw dropped. He left us? I decided to go home. Anger fueled my thoughts as I laid Sophia down and plotted revenge. I called Ryan’s hotel and arranged wake-up calls at odd hours, constant room service, and booked him for every tour.

Then, I packed his prized possessions and put them in storage. I changed our locks and ignored his increasingly frantic messages. Finally, I picked him up from the airport. He looked exhausted. “Did you enjoy your vacation?” I asked.

When we arrived home, he couldn’t unlock the door. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Your key doesn’t work anymore,” I said. “Hope you enjoyed your solo vacation because you’ll need a new place to stay.”

Ryan pleaded for forgiveness. “I panicked. I’m so sorry. Can we talk?” We sat on the porch. “I missed you both every second,” he admitted. I saw his remorse and let him in, but he slept on the couch and we started couples therapy immediately.

Over months, we rebuilt trust. Ryan promised, “Our next family vacation will be perfect.” I smiled, “Let’s start with a picnic in the park.”