Romance

A Debt Called Love

by All Is Well

Emmett Shaw believed in keeping everything even. As far as he was concerned, a relationship only lasted if neither person owed the other anything.During the toughest year of his startup, his mom landed in the hospital after a car accident. I spent three days and nights at her bedside, bathing her, changing her clothes, and barely sleeping.When I finally woke up, I found a 450-dollar transfer from Emmett. "A home health aide charges 150 a day, so that covers all three days," he said matter-of-factly. "Now we're even, and we can move forward."Then his first love, Melissa Doyle, mailed him 38 old IOUs he had written her, and I learned his rules didn't apply to everyone.The first read, [I owe you a barbecue dinner.]Emmett treated her to a candlelit dinner worth thousands.The 15th read, [I owe you a hug after a rough day at work.] He gave her the hug, along with the job I left when I got pregnant.When I confronted him, he spoke as if I was missing something obvious. "It's been ten years, so of course, I owe her interest. You know I don't leave debts unpaid."Late one night, I went into preterm labor and was rushed to the hospital. When the nurse asked where my husband was, Emmett was out making good on IOU number 23: [I owe you a Valentine's Day date.]I stared at my phone after he declined my call, then rested a hand on my swollen belly. Alone, I signed the consent form for a risky emergency surgery.He used 38 IOUs as an excuse to put another woman first. I left him a signed divorce agreement, giving him exactly what he wanted for the rest of his life: a clean slate.

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