The morning of the accident, I was on the phone with Mark. He was reminding me to drive carefully, promising that as soon as he wrapped up some business, he’d meet me at the hospital.

Mark, always so good at playing the part of the perfect husband, sounded genuinely guilty over the phone. He kept apologizing, saying he felt awful for missing such an important appointment because of work.

I reassured him, trying to be the understanding wife. “Don’t worry about ...