…“Did you use the gel?” he asked with a hopeful smile.
I froze. How could he not realize how thoughtless it was? I looked him in the eyes and blurted, “You know I hate that scent. Why would you get me something so impersonal on my birthday?”
His face fell. He sat down and quietly said, “I’m sorry. I saw it in a set you once looked at online months ago. I thought it meant something.” My anger softened instantly. I realized he had tried—just in the wrong way. We were both caught in our own expectations and disappointments, forgetting that love sometimes looks clumsy.
We talked that night. He promised to ask, not assume. I promised to speak before breaking down. And we agreed that next year, we’d pick gifts together—with laughter, not tears.
Lesson: Communication matters more than any gift. Love is found in effort, not perfection.
