Miguel and Hanna had been married for three years before they had the good news. Since Miguel found out his wife was pregnant, he had taken care of her every step of the way. Hanna was six months pregnant and her belly was getting bigger by the day. But recently, she had become strange: she had been lying on the bed in her rented room in Quezon City, hardly ever going out. No matter how Miguel tried to encourage her, she would just smile awkwardly and say she was tired.
At first, Miguel thought his wife was just having morning sickness or was feeling heavy from the pregnancy, but he found it increasingly strange. At mealtimes, she would just eat a quick meal and then lie down. Even when she needed to go to the bathroom, she would hold it in. Miguel was worried and repeatedly urged her:
– You can’t keep lying down like this, it will affect the baby.
But Hanna just shook her head slightly, her eyes red. The way she clutched the thin blanket made Miguel even more uneasy.
One night, Miguel came home late after his shift. He opened the door and saw his wife still in the same position: lying on her side, the blanket covering her from her chest to her feet. The strange atmosphere made Miguel’s heart beat faster. He walked closer, sat down next to her, and called softly:
– Hanna… are you hiding something from me?
Hanna was silent, her shoulders trembling slightly. In that moment, Miguel suddenly felt an invisible fear rising. He reached out to touch the edge of the blanket.
– I’m sorry… but I have to know.
With that, Miguel trembled as he lifted the blanket.
The scene before his eyes made him speechless. Hanna’s legs were swollen, her skin pale and covered with bruises. Her feet were cracked and red, so much so that even a light touch would make her groan in pain. Miguel was stunned, unable to believe this was true.
– Oh my god… why didn’t you tell me? – Miguel choked, tears welling up.
Hanna turned away, sobbing:
– I didn’t want you to worry… I was afraid you’d be tired, afraid you’d be sad. So I hid it…
It turned out that, over the past months, Hanna had suffered from complications of swollen feet during pregnancy. Her legs were aching more and more, making her unable to walk. But because she felt sorry for her husband’s hard work, she gritted her teeth and endured, hiding all the pain under the blanket.
Miguel hugged his wife, his heart filled with pity. He felt he had been too heartless when he only knew how to work and did not notice the changes in his wife.
The next morning, Miguel called Grab to take Hanna to PGH (Philippine General Hospital) in Manila. Hearing the doctor explain that this was a warning sign of preeclampsia – a dangerous complication that can affect both mother and fetus – Miguel’s heart tightened. If not detected in time, the consequences would be unpredictable.
In the hospital room, while the doctor injected anti-inflammatory drugs and closely monitored her blood pressure, Hanna held her husband’s hand tightly, tears rolling down her face. Miguel whispered:
– From now on, don’t hide anything from me anymore. No matter what, we have to get through it together.
Hanna nodded, choking. At that moment, Miguel realized: true love is not just sweet words, but also facing pain and fear together.
In the following days, Miguel took a long leave to take care of his wife. He learned how to cook, massaged Hanna’s feet every night, and helped his wife walk slowly around the hospital yard. Many people who saw that scene were moved and praised her.
Three months later, Hanna gave birth to a healthy baby girl at the Obstetrics Department of PGH Manila. When he heard the baby’s cry in the delivery room, Miguel burst into tears like a child. He held his wife’s hand, kissed her forehead, and whispered:
– Thank you… for being strong for this family.
And in his heart, the image of that evening – when he trembled as he lifted the blanket and saw his wife’s swollen feet – would forever become a milestone. That was the moment he understood more deeply than ever: love is sharing, it is never letting the person you love suffer silently alone.
