They were arguing about abortion.
It was on Interstate 74, driving past the endless cornfields of rural Illinois, when Lesley Dzik realized she’d been raising her voice at her husband, Matt. She stopped, and suggested they drop the topic. He agreed, and quiet settled into the cabin of the pickup truck.
“I love you,” they told each other, and the hands that had been gesturing to articulate their opposing views collapsed into each other on the center console.
The Dziks have navigated issues common to so many marriages, from parenting to money.
But politics? That’s complicated.
Lesley, 56, is a Republican. Matt, 68, is a Democrat. She is anti-abortion. Matt believes women should have the choice. She refused to be vaccinated during the pandemic. He got the shots.
When they started dating, all it took was the sight of Democratic lawn signs outside his house ahead of the 2020 election to make her question if their relationship could work.
But they both wanted it to work. Lesley read...