I always thought I understood love — the way it feels warm, steady, and familiar.

On our 10th anniversary

, I bought my husband the watch he’d dreamed of for years. When he handed me a plastic perfume bottle

, I felt hurt and confused. I placed it on a shelf, believing he hadn’t put much thought into it. I never imagined there was more to his gift.

Three weeks later, he passed unexpectedly, leaving a silence so deep it felt like the walls remembered him more than I did. Continues…