A Valentine’s Day regret: Love, loss, and lessons learned

A man exploded at his wife on Valentine’s Day, accusing her of being a bad homemaker, and threw her gift away in a fit of rage. But he regretted his decision later that same day when a stranger showed up at his door.

Cora Morales spent the morning in a bubble of happiness, surprised at how joyful she felt. She was sitting in the living room, checking off tasks on her to-do list for the evening, blushing and thinking about how happy Eric would be to see the surprise she had prepared for him for Valentine’s Day.

Cora met Eric at a business conference in Texas. Both were orphans raised in foster homes and dreamed of one day having a big, happy family.

Luckily, it didn’t take long: they married after a few dates, and two years later welcomed triplets.

However, tension began when Cora had to take care of the children while Eric became the family’s primary breadwinner.

Eric gave everything he had to support a family of five, which caused him stress and guilt for not spending enough time with his family. He barely got any rest on weekends, and yet he struggled to save much money by month’s end.

That’s why they hadn’t gone on a trip or to a fancy restaurant in years, not even for special occasions. Eric was determined to save every penny, and Cora understood that well; she never wasted the little money they had and spent wisely.

Even that Valentine’s Day, she wore an old red dress Eric had given her on their first wedding anniversary. It was a bit outdated, but special to her and saved her money, so she didn’t mind wearing it for the occasion.

When she realized Eric would be home soon, she quickly set the table for two with her favorite red velvet cheesecake — baked in a heart shape — a bottle of wine, some other dishes she prepared, and placed a gift box beside his plate — the part she was most excited about.

“Perfect!” she thought, placing scented candles around the room and turning on fairy lights. About half an hour later, the doorbell rang, and Eric arrived home.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, love!” she said, kissing him on the cheek and guiding him inside.

When Eric walked in and saw the table full of food, the room lit by candles, and rose petals scattered from the door to the table, he was bewildered.

“What the hell have you done, Cora? Are we some dumb teenagers?” he exploded in anger.

Cora’s smile vanished instantly as Eric turned on all the lights and stared at her. “Honey! What’s wrong? Are you upset? Did something happen at work?”

When we’re furious, we lose the ability to think clearly.

“Are you serious?” Eric shouted. “Is this why I work so hard? So you can waste it all on this nonsense?”

“Eric, calm down! I didn’t go overboard. The ingredients cost a bit more, but not that much,” she replied softly, leading him to the table. “Please, sit down and tell me what you think of the food.”

Eric was furious, really furious. He tried a bite of the Aglio e Olio and spat it out onto the table. “What’s wrong with the spaghetti? And why does the sauce taste like garbage?” he yelled, waking the triplets who were sound asleep in their room.

“Eric!” Cora cried. “What’s wrong with you? The babies... I put them to sleep half an hour ago, and you woke them up!”

“And that’s my fault too?” Eric retorted. “I work all day and you stay home playing with the kids! And what’s this?” he said, grabbing the gift box. “A present?” He threw it on the floor and looked at her with contempt. “I’m not a kid impressed by this, understood? Have you seen the kitchen? Do you know why it’s full of dirty dishes? Because you were too busy preparing this rubbish and didn’t take care of the house.”

“You’re impossible, Eric! I can’t believe you’re the same man I fell in love with and married. Can’t you... uh, just leave?” Cora murmured, backing toward the kids’ room. But the crying continued, making Eric even more irritated.

“Why won’t the kids be quiet? Aren’t you the perfect homemaker and mother? Learn to do something right, Cora,” he shouted from the living room.

Hearing his mocking tone, Cora stormed out of the room. “They’re crying because I need to change their diapers and we don’t have any at home. So shut up and take care of them until I get back. The store is far, so it’ll take a while!” she yelled before leaving and slamming the door.

“Of course! And then you say you’re a homemaker who stays home,” Eric muttered and mocked as he headed to the kids’ room.

Almost an hour passed. The children kept crying and Cora hadn’t returned.

“What’s wrong with you, Cora?” Eric complained, grabbing his phone to call her. “I can’t believe it’s taking you so long to get a pack of diapers!”

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

“Here she is! Cora, how long does it take just to—” he started to ask but stopped when he saw a police officer at the door.

“Does Cora Morales live here?”

“Yes.”

“Are you... her husband?” the officer asked, clearing his throat.

Eric nodded.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but your wife died in a car accident. We need you to come with us to identify the body. We found your address on her driver’s license.”

Shock ran through Eric, and his face went pale. The officer glanced inside the house and saw the candlelit table. He felt sorry delivering such terrible news but had no choice.

Still trembling from the shock, Eric managed to call their neighbor, Mrs. Nelson, and asked her to look after the triplets while he was away. When he arrived at the morgue, he couldn’t believe the pale, lifeless body was Cora’s. He cried inconsolably, feeling horrible for how he had treated her.

After the funeral, he locked himself in the house. He didn’t want to think or do anything.

The table Cora had prepared was still there, and looking at it, he relived the entire previous night. Suddenly, he remembered the gift.

“The gift... I didn’t even open it,” he said, searching frantically on the floor.

With trembling hands, he unwrapped it and found a note along with two plane tickets to Hawaii. He wiped his tears before reading the letter.

To the love of my life, Eric,

Happy Valentine’s Day, darling! Guess who got a job this month? I saw you were exhausted working alone, so I started applying everywhere and yesterday afternoon I got a call saying I was hired.

I also spoke to Mrs. Nelson, and she agreed to watch the babies so I can work peacefully, knowing they’re in good hands. But wait, that’s not the only surprise! See these tickets? They’re for our vacation to Hawaii, just the two of us. (I’ve got other plans too, but I’ll tell you later, hehe.)

When Eric finished reading, he broke down crying like a child. But there was nothing he could do. Cora was gone, and he’d have to live with that the rest of his life.

Sadly, that’s exactly what happened.

Eric’s life was never the same, and he never fell in love again. He simply worked hard to provide the best for his children and take good care of them. Now, every Valentine’s Day, he just goes to Cora’s grave and spends hours talking to her about everything he feels, wishing he could ask for her forgiveness.

What can we learn from this story?

Don’t jump to conclusions. Eric thought Cora didn’t want to work and was just slacking off at home. He was wrong.

When we’re angry, we lose the ability to think sensibly. Eric was stressed from work and took his frustration out on Cora. He still regrets it.