For my wife, Louise, and me, airport greetings were our special tradition. I’d always meet her with a funny, hand-drawn sign, and it never failed to make her laugh. After a week-long business trip, I decided to up the ante with a sign that read, “I KNOW WHAT YOU DID. COMING HOME WAS A BIG MISTAKE.” It was a cheesy reference to a horror movie we’d watched, and I expected an eye-roll and a hug. Instead, when she saw it, her face went white with pure terror. Before I could say a word, she turned and ran through the crowded terminal, disappearing before my eyes.
I was completely bewildered. My lighthearted joke had triggered a reaction I couldn’t understand. After a frantic call to her mother, the shocking truth came out. Years before we met, Louise had undergone extensive plastic surgery. She had been deeply self-conscious about a cleft palate she was born with, and a large part of her motivation for the change was a crush she’d had on me back in college, a time I didn’t even remember her. She had carried the secret fear that I would reject her if I ever found out, and my silly sign made her think the moment of discovery had finally arrived.
I raced home, my heart pounding, and found her sobbing on our bed. The pain and fear in her eyes were devastating. I sat beside her and held her, apologizing over and over for my ignorant joke. I told her that I loved her for her kindness, her spirit, and her heart—not for her appearance. The relief that washed over her was palpable. The next morning, I brought her breakfast in bed with a new sign that simply said, “I LOVE YOU FOR YOU.” Her smile told me everything I needed to know. Our love was stronger than any secret from the past.
