See what hahappened was that after Nora left Torvold, and set off to live off on her own, she found it difficult to get her own apartment and her own job to support herself. On top of that, she missed her kids dearly and realized what a terrible mistake she's made. But she knows now that she can't go back,because her husband will think that she is weak and if she comes back, he will start treating her worse than before.