My hands were shaking when I picked it up.
Inside was a handwritten note that read:
I know this perfume is temporary, but next month I’ll surprise you with the necklace you’ve always dreamed of. Thank you for believing in me, even when I don’t say it enough. You are my forever gift.
I sat there on the floor, holding the bottle and the note to my heart, tears flowing freely.
The perfume wasn’t cheap: she had simply wrapped her love in a humble container while saving up for something bigger.
But the real gift wasn’t the necklace.
It was her thoughtfulness, her effort, her quiet love that I failed to see.
Now, I keep the bottle on my nightstand, not as a reminder of what I lost, but of the love that was always there.
Sometimes, the value of a gift isn’t in its price, but in the heart behind it.
And sometimes we only understand its value when it’s too late.
