hearing her say it's throbbing while i'm completely helpless is breaking me into pieces. nothing is even touching the pain and we can't get into a pediatric dentist until tuesday. please tell me there is something i can do at home right now to help her

Sometimes, what hurts most isn't what someone did. It's realizing how long you kept making excuses for it. You remember the times they were there for you, so you keep overlooking the times they weren't. You focus on their good intentions, even when their actions repeatedly leave you disappointed. You tell yourself that things will improve because admitting otherwise would mean accepting that someone important to you may not be able to give you what you need. But caring about someone shouldn't require you to ignore your own experience. You can appreciate the good moments and still be honest about the bad ones. You don't have to pretend a relationship is healthy just because it once made you happy.