Title: The Gift He Never Opened in Time
Cora woke up that Valentine’s Day with a wide smile on her face. Her heart felt light, and she couldn’t stop humming love songs as she moved around the house. She had something special planned for her husband, Eric, and just thinking about his reaction made her cheeks turn red.
She glanced at her to-do list and ticked off the final items. The living room was clean, the decorations were up, and the dinner was almost ready. “Eric’s going to be so surprised,” she whispered to herself with a grin.
They had met at a business conference in Texas. Both of them had grown up in foster care, bouncing between homes without real families. When they met, they instantly connected. They both dreamed of having a real family—big, warm, and full of love. And soon, after only a few dates, they got married. Two years later, they welcomed triplets into their world. Three little miracles.
But after the babies were born, things changed.
Cora stayed home to care for the children, while Eric worked long hours to provide for them. He rarely got time to rest. Even on weekends, there was always something—bills to pay, errands to run. No vacations, no fancy dinners, not even on special occasions. Eric tightened the budget, saving every penny. Cora understood. She never spent carelessly and tried to make everything work with what they had.
That Valentine’s Day, she pulled out a red dress from her closet. It was the one Eric had gifted her for their first wedding anniversary. A bit old-fashioned now, but it still fit, and it brought back beautiful memories. She put it on with care, brushed her hair, and set the dining table with love.
She placed two plates, poured some wine, and brought out the special dish—heart-shaped red velvet cheesecake, Eric’s favorite. The spaghetti Aglio e Olio sat steaming in a bowl beside it. She lit some sweet-scented candles, turned on soft fairy lights, and finally added a little gift box beside Eric’s plate.
“Perfect,” she whispered again, stepping back to admire the cozy, romantic setup.
About thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. Her heart skipped a beat. She rushed to the door and opened it.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!” she beamed, kissing him on the cheek and pulling him inside gently.
But instead of smiling, Eric looked around the room with a puzzled—and then angry—expression. The rose petals on the floor, the flickering candles, the soft music… it seemed to irritate him.
“What on Earth have you done, Cora? Are we some stupid teenagers?” he snapped suddenly.
Her smile froze. “Honey! What’s wrong? Are you upset with something? Did something happen at work?”
He raised his voice. “Are you serious? Is this why I work my ass off? So that you can blow everything on some sort of crap like this?!”
“Oh, Eric! Relax!” she said softly, trying to calm him down. “I didn’t go overboard. The ingredients did cost a little more, but it wasn’t much. Please, have a seat and tell me how you like the food?”
Eric yanked a chair and sat down. He shoved a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth, then spat it out right onto the plate.
“What the hell is wrong with the spaghetti?! And why does the sauce taste like shit?” he shouted, making Cora jump and the triplets start to cry in their bedroom.
“Eric!” she said, panicked. “What’s wrong with you? The babies—I just put them to sleep half an hour ago, and now they’re awake!”
“Oh, so that’s my fault too?” he barked. “Cora, I work all day while you stay at home and play with the kids! And what the hell is this?” He grabbed the gift box off the table. “A gift?”
He flung it on the floor.
“I’m not a kid who’d get impressed by something like that, okay? Have you seen the kitchen? It’s a mess! Let me guess—because you were too busy preparing this crap to clean up!”
Cora’s eyes filled with tears. Her voice cracked. “You’re impossible, Eric. I can’t believe you’re the same man I fell in love with and married… Can’t you—ugh, just leave me alone…” She turned and walked to the kids’ room, shaking with anger and heartbreak.
But the babies were still crying. Loudly.
“Why aren’t the kids quiet yet?” Eric yelled from the living room. “Aren’t you the perfect housewife and mom? Learn to do at least something properly, Cora!”
That was it.
Cora stormed out of the room. “They’re crying because I need to change their diapers, but we don’t have any left at home!” she shouted. “So keep your mouth shut and look after them until I get back. The store is a little far, so it’ll take time!”
She grabbed her coat and slammed the door behind her.
Eric sat there, fuming. “Yeah! And then you claim you’re a housewife, and you stay at home…”
He muttered and paced around the house angrily, still annoyed. He went into the babies’ room and tried to calm the triplets down, but he struggled. He wasn’t used to doing it alone.
Thirty minutes passed. Then forty. Then an hour. Cora still wasn’t back. The kids were crying again, and Eric was getting more and more restless.
“What’s the matter with you, Cora?” he groaned, grabbing his phone. “I can’t believe it’s taking you so long to get a packet of diapers!”
Just then—the doorbell rang.
“Finally!” he said, walking toward the door. “Cora, how long does it take to just—”
But it wasn’t her.
Standing at the door was a police officer.
“Does Cora live here?” the officer asked.
“Yes?” Eric said, confused.
“You, uh, her husband?” the cop asked again, clearing his throat.
Eric nodded slowly.
“I’m sorry to say this, but your wife died in a car collision. You need to come with us and identify the body. We found her address on her driver’s license.”
Eric froze.
The world spun.
His legs trembled, and his face turned pale. He didn’t speak. Couldn’t speak.
The officer peeked inside and saw the candle-lit table. He looked like he felt bad, but this was his duty. There was no way to soften that kind of blow.
Still in a daze, Eric called their neighbor, Mrs. Nelson, to take care of the triplets. He barely managed to speak the words. Then he rode with the police to the hospital. And when he saw Cora’s lifeless body lying under a white sheet, something inside him broke forever. He dropped to his knees and sobbed like a child.
The next day was the funeral. Eric didn’t say a word the entire time. Afterward, he locked himself in the house. He didn’t eat. Didn’t sleep. The decorations from Valentine’s Day were still there, untouched. The candles, the food, the fairy lights—everything remained, frozen in time.
And then he saw it.
The gift.
The one he had thrown on the floor.
He slowly picked it up with shaky hands. Unwrapped the paper. Inside was a letter. And two plane tickets.
He opened the letter.
To the love of my life, Eric,
Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!!!
Guess who got a job this month? Me! I saw how tired you were, working alone, so I secretly started applying. Yesterday, I got a call—I got hired!
I also talked to Mrs. Nelson, and she agreed to watch the babies while I work. Now we can share the load, together.
And look! These two tickets are for our vacation to Hawaii—just the two of us! We need this break. I’ve even planned more surprises, but I’ll save those for later. Hehe 🙂
I love you so much. Always.
Eric couldn’t finish reading. He dropped to the floor, clutching the letter, sobbing harder than he ever had in his life.
But it was too late.
Cora was gone. And now, he would carry the weight of his words forever.
From that day on, Eric changed. He never loved again. He raised the triplets with care, working hard to give them a good life. Every Valentine’s Day, he visited Cora’s grave with flowers and sat there for hours, telling her everything—about the kids, about work, about how much he missed her.
And every time, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
What can we learn from this story?
- Don’t jump to conclusions. Eric assumed Cora was lazy and not helping, but he was wrong.
- When we’re angry, we say things we can’t take back. Eric let stress blind him and hurt someone he loved.
- Sometimes, the people who seem to do “nothing” are doing the most—silently, with love.
Cherish your loved ones. You never know when it might be your last chance to say “thank you.”
