On Valentine’s Day, Cora wore her old red dress and filled the house with candles, fairy lights, and rose petals. She made Eric’s favorite dinner and placed a wrapped gift by his plate. But when Eric walked in, he didn’t smile—he snapped. “What is this? Are we teenagers?” He criticized everything, from her cooking to the house. When she said they were out of diapers, she stormed out to buy some, heartbroken.

An hour later, the doorbell rang. A police officer stood there. “Your wife was in a car accident. She didn’t make it.” At the morgue, Eric broke down. He hadn’t apologized. Hadn’t opened her gift.

The next day, he found the small box. Inside were two plane tickets to Hawaii and a letter. Cora had secretly gotten a job to help ease his burden. “We deserve this,” she wrote. “There’s more to the surprise, but you’ll find out later…”

Eric collapsed in tears. Her final gift was love—and hope. He never remarried. Every Valentine’s Day, he visited her grave, whispering apologies and holding onto the woman who had loved him unconditionally.

Lesson: Never take love for granted. One harsh moment can become the last thing they remember. Choose kindness—always.