I always thought I understood love — the way it feels warm, steady, and familiar. On our 10th anniversary, I bought my husband the watch he’d dreamed of for years. When he handed me a plastic perfume bottle, I felt hurt and confused. I placed it on a shelf, believing he hadn’t put much thought into it. I never imagined there was more to his gift.
Three weeks later, he passed unexpectedly, leaving a silence so deep it felt like the walls remembered him more than I did. Days blurred into nights as I tried to adjust to the world without his laughter and gentle presence.