I was furious when my husband, David, chose to help a friend’s wife instead of picking me up from the airport. To teach him a lesson about priorities, I hatched a plan with Mark, a friend who kindly drove me home instead.

We staged an elaborate dinner to make David realize how it felt to be let down. As we sat down to eat, I praised Mark’s reliability, driving home the point that David had missed. The dinner was filled with awkward silence, with David barely touching his food.

Afterward, I confronted him, asking if he understood how it felt to be let down. He apologized and finally realized how his actions had hurt me. The days that followed were different. David made a conscious effort to prioritize our relationship, leaving work earlier and checking in more often.

He kept his promise, even when Jenny went into labor, choosing to stay with me instead of helping his friend. Our relationship grew stronger as David balanced helping others with being present for me. He said it best: “You’re my priority, Sarah.”