After meeting Eric at a business conference in Texas, they married after a brief romance. Two years later, their lives were blessed—and completely upended—by the arrival of triplets. Over time, their once-passionate love story faded under the weight of responsibilities. Cora became the primary caregiver, devoting every waking moment to the children, while Eric carried the financial burden as the sole provider. Somewhere along the way, they stopped celebrating each other. Cora woke up feeling lighter than she had in years, a rare happiness filling her chest.
In an effort to change that, Cora organized a special Valentine’s Day dinner at home and wore the red dress that Eric had given her for their first anniversary. Although it was a little out of style, it was full of love and memories, and it meant the world to her. She only hoped that it would have symbolic meaning for Eric as well.
A bottle of wine and a variety of home-cooked dishes flanked the heart-shaped red velvet cheesecake, which was Cora’s favorite, at the center of the table. She placed a neatly wrapped gift box next to his plate, anticipating his reaction when he opened it. After waiting for almost thirty minutes, the doorbell finally rang, signaling that Eric was home. “Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!” she greeted him with a bright smile, but instead of the joy she had hoped for, Eric’s expression darkened. His eyes swept over the table before he scoffed.
Cora, what’s all this? Are we some stupid youths? He lost his temper.
Her smile wavered. “Oh, calm down, Eric! I didn’t go too far. Although a bit expensive, the ingredients weren’t particularly fancy. She guided him to the table by reaching for his hand. “Just sit down and taste the food, please.”
Eric, however, had no interest. He became enraged.
“Cora, do you even think? The babies—you’ve woken them up after I put them to sleep thirty minutes ago!
He glanced at the little gift box next to his plate. He grabbed it up and threw it to the ground, scoffing.
“A present? Do I appear to be a kid who would find this impressive? Did you view the kitchen, too? You were too preoccupied with creating this gibberish to maintain order in the house, therefore it’s a mess!
Cora lost her tolerance. She pivoted on her heel, her face flushed with rage.
After she grabbed her coat and slammed the door behind her, she yelled, “They’re crying because their diapers need to be changed, but guess what? We’re out! So instead of yelling, watch them while I go buy some! The store isn’t close, so I’ll be gone for a while.” Eric muttered to himself as he trudged to the children’s room, continuing to criticize Cora for being a poor homemaker. An hour later, the triplets’ cries filled the house, but Cora hadn’t returned, and when the doorbell rang, he opened it to discover a police officer standing on the porch.
“I regret to notify you, sir,” the officer stated gravely. “Your wife got into an automobile accident. She did not live. To identify the body, you must accompany us. Her driver’s license contained her address, which we discovered.
Eric remained still as the words refused to register in his head. He felt a chill of dread wash over him, and his throat constricted.
He shook and grabbed his phone to call Mrs. Nelson, their neighbor next door, to beg her to watch the kids. He then followed the officer to the mortuary while dazed.
He could not have been prepared for what he witnessed.
Cora’s once-warm and affectionate face was now pallid and motionless as she lay lifeless on the chilly steel table. The weight of his final words to her devastated him, causing his knees to buckle and tears to fall down his cheeks.
His soul was gnawed by guilt.
After the burial the following day, unwilling to face the outside world, Eric shut himself in their house. Only the gentle screams of the triplets, who were now motherless due to him, could break the terrible silence.
Then, like a kick to the stomach, a memory suddenly came back to him.
He looked around wildly for it, his heart racing. His hands shook as he removed the wrapping after he eventually located the little box.
Two plane tickets to Hawaii and a nicely folded letter were inside. With shaking hands, Eric unfolded the note and started reading, wiping away his tears.
Sobs tore through his body by the time he got to the final syllable. Cora had left. And she could never be brought back by anything.
Eric’s life changed drastically after that day. His heart stayed with Cora, therefore love never found him again—not because he wasn’t deserving of it. Rather, he dedicated his life to raising their kids, making sure they received the same kind of affection and attention their mother would have.
He goes to Cora’s grave on Valentine’s Day every year. He spends hours sitting in quiet and whispering to her about life, the kids, and all he wishes he had said when she was still around to hear it. And he yearns for a single time each year to beg her pardon.