The dramatic storyline concerning Mackenzie Booth’s (Mac) miscarriage has sharply highlighted an often-overlooked issue: the divergent ways couples process the grief of losing a child, especially when one partner retreats into isolation. Mac’s reaction following the tragedy, while emotionally understandable, is being viewed by many in the community as selfish and is placing severe strain on her relationship with Levi Fowler.

The Burden of “Carrying” vs. “Losing”

Mac’s instinctive move to create distance from Levi stems from the viewpoint that her pain, as the person who carried the baby, is the deepest and most unique. She endured the physical changes, the hormone injections during their in vitro fertilization (IVF) process, and ultimately, the physical experience of the miscarriage itself.

However, as some characters and viewers have pointed out, the fact that Mac carried the baby does not mean she is the only one who suffered a loss. Both Mac and Levi lost a child. The couple had collaboratively built dreams, hopes, and love for that baby. Their goal was to start a family, and the failure, whether biological or emotional, is a shared burden.

Levi: The Silent Suffering

Had Levi never wanted a baby in the first place, Mac’s lack of empathy might be justified. But the reality is that he fully engaged with Mac through the challenging IVF process, he wanted that child, and that means he, too, is wrestling with a profound grief.

The fact that men often express loss differently than women—frequently through quiet support and by avoiding public emotional display—does not lessen the authenticity of their pain. By erecting walls and constantly pushing Levi away, Mac is tragically self-isolating. She feels alone, but she is actively preventing the only person who can truly understand her specific loss from reaching her.

Ultimately, the loss of a child is a shared tragedy. To move forward, Mac and Levi must acknowledge each other’s pain, rather than setting it up for comparison or conflict. The wall Mac is building is not only harming her emotionally but also threatening to destroy their already hard-won relationship. Can they learn to grieve together, or will their different approaches to loss lead to a complete breakdown?