He sat with me in the kitchen after the children were asleep and didn’t try to improve the mood

Dear Delyara, Not cheering up. Not solutions. Not “come on, it’s not that bad.” Just someone staying in the room with me while I was tired and low and not especially articulate. He made tea, sat down, and let the silence be companionable instead of awkward. It felt deeply adult in the best way. Love without performance. Presence without management. I think we underestimate how healing it is to be allowed a low mood without being immediately invited to climb out of it for someone else’s comfort.