When Edward greets his wife, Louise, at the airport with a witty sign, the last thing he expects is for her to turn pale and run away. As Edward tries to understand why his joke struck such a nerve, he uncovers a secret from Louise’s past that threatens to shatter the love they’ve built.
You know how some couples have their own quirks? Like, they have “their song” or a pet name that only means something to them? Well, Louise and I had our own posters at the airport.
A couple in love | Source: Pexels
It started years ago. I was waiting for her at the terminal with a sign that said “WELCOME HOME, MY LOVE,” because I’m kind of nerdy. She saw it, laughed, and the next time she had to travel for work, she asked if I could make another sign. From then on, it became our thing.
Sometimes the signs were sweet, and other times they were completely ridiculous. Once, I held up one that said “FREE HUGS FROM A DEVOTED HUSBAND,” and she nearly collapsed laughing.
But this time, I thought I was really going to push myself.
A man making a sign | Source: Midjourney
She had been away for a week at a conference in Chicago, and I was dying to see her again. So I decided to spice things up with a sign that read, “I KNOW WHAT YOU DID. COMING HOME WAS A BIG MISTAKE.”
I’d watched a scary movie the night before, and the idea seemed amusing. I figured she’d see it, roll her eyes, and give me that exasperated “Oh, Eddie” she does when I go too far.
So there I was, standing in the middle of the bustling terminal, holding up my masterpiece.
A man standing in an airport | Source: Midjourney
My eyes were glued to the gate, scanning every face until Louise stepped out, still as beautiful as ever. She saw the sign and her face paled. Her gaze met mine, and the abject fear I saw in her shook me to my core.
Before I could react, she turned on her heel and ran away.
It took me a second to realize what had just happened. By the time I let go of the sign and started chasing her, she was already halfway to the terminal.
A woman running in an airport | Source: Midjourney
“Louise!” I shouted, but she didn’t stop, she didn’t even turn around.
I tried to push my way through the crowd, but it was moving fast. That’s when security intervened, holding me back and telling me I couldn’t go any further.
I was frantic, trying to explain that my wife had just run away and that I had to catch her. But they wouldn’t listen.
A security guard | Source: Pexels
I took out my phone and called her, but she didn’t answer. What just happened? What was in that sign to make her react like that?
I sat on a bench, staring at the phone in my hand, my mind racing. Then it hit me: her mother. If anyone could know what was going on with Louise, it was her.
I called her, and when she picked up, I didn’t even give her a chance to say hello. “Is Louise with you? Please tell me she’s here.”
A man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“No, why would she be here? Edward… what did you do?”
“I don’t know, Julie! I just… I greeted her at the airport with a sign saying I knew what she did and that coming home was a mistake. It was supposed to be funny, but she panicked and ran away.”
There was a long, heavy pause, then a deep sigh. “Edward, she thinks you found out about her operation.”
I blinked. “What are you talking about? What operation?”
A man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“Louise didn’t always look like she does today. After college, she underwent numerous surgeries… to change her appearance. She was in love with you back then, but you never noticed. When you two found each other, it wasn’t by chance. She did it, after her transformation.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Louise had gone to the same university as me? Had she changed her appearance to be with me?
“I… I don’t… that seems crazy to me, Julie!” I stammered.
A man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“I know,” she sighed, “but it wasn’t all about you, Ed. Louise was born with a cleft palate and always felt insecure about her appearance because of it. Falling in love with you was the catalyst that pushed her to have the operation, but it was something she’d always wanted anyway.”
I sat numb, my phone slipping from my hands. The joke I’d planned had opened a wound I hadn’t even known existed.
Maybe I should have panicked about all the other details, but at that moment, all I wanted was to find her and make things right.
A man walking in an airport | Source: Midjourney
The drive home was a blur of red lights and frantic glances at my phone, willing it to ring with a call or a text from him. But nothing. Just a deathly silence that echoed my fear.
When I pulled into our driveway, I was practically shaking. I walked through the door, calling her name, my voice cracking with panic. “Louise? Louise, please come back…”
Nothing. The house was eerily quiet, as if holding its breath. My heart pounded as I searched the house, eventually making it up to our bedroom.
A door | Source: Unsplash
A soft, muffled sob sounded from behind the door. It broke my heart. I pushed the door open slowly, my breath catching in my throat when I saw her.
Louise was curled up on the bed, clutching her phone to her chest, her body shaking with every sob. Seeing her like this devastated me.
I hesitated in the doorway, my chest tight. What could I possibly say to make things better? Then I realized that standing there and doing nothing wasn’t going to help either of us. So I did the only thing I could think of: I went to see her.
A woman crying in her bed | Source: Pexels
I sat down next to her on the bed, my movements slow, as if afraid she’d break if I got too close. “Louise,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry. I… God, I didn’t know. I didn’t know.”
She continued to cry, her sobs muffled by the pillow. I reached out, my hand trembling as I gently touched her shoulder. She flinched at first, then slowly turned to me, her tear-filled eyes meeting mine.
“I thought it would make you laugh. I never meant to hurt you. I didn’t know about… everything.”
A sad and serious man | Source: Midjourney
“But you know now, obviously.” Louise’s face crumpled as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. “I was so scared. Every day, I was terrified you’d find out. That you’d stop loving me if you knew the truth. And now…”
“Louise, no,” I said, my heart breaking at the pain in her voice. “Darling, I love you. I love your kind heart and the way you get angry when the world is cruel, the way you always find the silver lining in every dark cloud. I love you for who you are, not for how you look.”
An emotional man | Source: Midjourney
Her eyes searched mine, as if she couldn’t believe I was telling the truth. I slowly reached out and pulled her into my arms, holding her close.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered into her hair. “I love you, Louise, more than anything in the world.”
For a moment, she just cried against my chest, her body shaking with the force of her emotions. I held her tighter, wishing I could somehow make all her pain go away. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally began to calm down, her breathing evening out as she clung to me.
A crying woman | Source: Pexels
“I thought you’d hate me if you knew the truth,” she whispered.
“Never,” I said, my voice firm. “I could never hate you, Louise. You are my wife, my partner, the love of my life. Nothing can change that.”
She pulled back slightly, looking at me with tear-stained eyes. “Do you really think so?”
“Absolutely,” I said, cupping his face in my hands. “You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”
A small, hesitant smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
A man hugging his wife | Source: Midjourney
The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual. I had to show him, not just tell him, how much I meant what I said.
I made him breakfast in bed, and when I walked into the room with the tray, I had a little sign propped against the plate. It read, “I LOVE YOU.”
She took the sign, hugged it to her chest, and whispered, “I love you too, Eddie.”
And at that moment, I knew everything was going to be okay.
A happy couple | Source: Pexels
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This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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