When Edward greets his wife, Louise, at the airport with a playful sign, the last thing he expects is for her to turn pale and bolt. As Edward races to uncover why his joke struck such a nerve, he unravels a secret from Louise’s past that threatens to shatter the love they’ve built.

You know how some couples have their little quirks? Like, they have “their song” or a pet name that only makes sense to them? Well, Louise and I had our airport signs.

It started years ago. I was waiting for her at the terminal with a sign that said, “WELCOME HOME, MY LOVE” because I’m cheesy like that. She saw it, laughed, and the next time she had to travel for work, she asked if I’d 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 from laughing so hard.

But this time I thought I’d really outdo myself.

She’d been gone for a week, some conference in Chicago, and I was itching 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 been watching a horror movie the night before and it seemed like a fun idea. I figured she’d see it, roll her eyes, and give me that exasperated “Oh, Eddie” she does when I’ve gone too far.

So there I was, standing in the middle of the bustling terminal, holding up my masterpiece.

My eyes were glued to the gate, scanning every face until Louise stepped out, looking as beautiful as ever. She saw the sign and all the blood drained from her face. Her gaze met mine, and the abject fear I saw in her shook me to the core.

Before I could react, she turned on her heel and bolted.

It took me a second to realize what had just happened. By the time I dropped the sign and started after her, she was already halfway down the terminal.

“Louise!” I yelled, but she didn’t stop, didn’t even look back.

I tried to push through the crowd, but she was fast. And then security stepped in, holding me back, telling me I couldn’t go any further.

I was frantic, trying to explain that my wife had just run off, and I needed to catch her. But they weren’t having any of it.

I pulled out my phone and called her, but she didn’t answer. What the hell just happened? What was in that sign that made her react like that?

I sat on a bench, staring at the phone in my hand, my mind racing. Then it hit me — her mom. If anyone knew what was going on with Louise, it was her.

I called her up, 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 there.”

“No, why would she be? Edward… what did you do?”

“I don’t know, Julie! I just… I met 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 freaked out and ran off.”

There was a long, heavy pause, then a deep sigh. “Edward, she thinks you found out about her surgery.”

I blinked. “What are you talking about? What surgery?”

“Louise didn’t always look like she does now. After college, she had extensive surgeries… to change her appearance. She was in love with you back then, but you never noticed her. When you met again, it wasn’t by chance. She made it happen, after her transformation.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Louise went to the same college as me? Had changed her whole appearance to be with me?

“I… I don’t… this sounds crazy, Julie!” I spluttered.

“I know,” she sighed, “but it wasn’t just about you, Ed. Louise was born with a cleft palate and always felt insecure about her looks because of it. Falling in love with you was the catalyst for her to get surgery, but it was something she always wanted, anyhow.”

I sat there, numb, my phone slipping from my hand. The playful joke I’d planned had torn open a wound I didn’t even know existed.

Maybe I should’ve been freaking out about all the other details, but at that moment, all I wanted was to find her and make this right.

The drive home was a blur of red lights and frantic glances at my phone, willing it to ring with a call or text from her. But nothing. Just the dead silence that echoed my fear.

By the time I pulled into our driveway, I was practically shaking. I burst through the door, calling her name, my voice cracking with panic. “Louise? Louise, please be here…”

Nothing. The house was eerily quiet, like it was holding its breath. My heart pounded louder as I searched the house, finally making my way upstairs to our bedroom.

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 trembling with each sob. Seeing her like that shattered me.

I hesitated at the doorway, my chest tight. What could I possibly say to fix this? But then I realized that standing there, doing nothing, wasn’t going to help either of us. So I did the only thing I could think of: I went to her.

I sat down beside her on the bed, my movements slow, like I was afraid she might break if I got too close. “Louise,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry. I… God, I didn’t know. I didn’t know.”

She just kept crying, her sobs muffled by the pillow. I reached out, my hand trembling as I gently touched her shoulder. She flinched at first, but then, slowly, she turned towards 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… about everything.”

“But you do now, obviously.” Louise’s face crumpled as fresh tears spilled 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. “Honey, I love you. I love your kind heart and the way you get angry when the world is cruel, how you always find the silver lining in every dark cloud. I love you for who you are, not how you look.”

Her eyes searched mine, like 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 this 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 take away all her pain. After what felt like an eternity, she finally started to calm down, her breathing evening out as she clung to me.

“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’re my wife, my partner, the love of my life. Nothing can change that.”

She pulled back slightly, looking up at me with tear-stained eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

“Absolutely,” I said, cupping her face in my hands. “You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”

A small, hesitant smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual. I needed to show her, not just tell her, how much I meant what I’d said.

I made her breakfast in bed and when I walked into the bedroom with the tray, I had a little sign propped up against the plate. It read, “I LOVE YOU FOR YOU.”

She took the sign, held it to her chest, and whispered, “I love you, too, Eddie.”

And in that moment, I knew we were going to be okay.

Here’s another story: My life spiraled into a nightmare after I accidentally saw a photo of my “anonymous” sperm donor. What should have been a joyful step toward starting a family with my husband turned into an impossible dilemma. How long can I carry this secret before it destroys everything? Click here to read more.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.