One night I decided to put my glass aside.
When Victor left the kitchen for a few minutes, I put the drink away.
The next morning I noticed that one of the nearby plants didn’t look as good as it had the day before.
I was surprised and spent part of the day thinking about what might have happened.
I remembered all those years and began to ask myself questions.Why was that drink so special?
Why did Victor always keep it in the same place?And why did he never talk about his origins?
Victor, meanwhile, remained the same attentive man he always was.
When I was having a difficult day, he would help me.
When she was tired, she would prepare dinner.
When Emily needed something, he was always available for her.
That’s why I found it even more curious that he kept that little tradition a secret.
A few weeks later, I put the glass aside again.
The next morning, Victor looked at me and asked:
—You didn’t finish your glass yesterday.
—How do you know?
She smiled.
—We have been sitting together at this time for thirty-five years.
That answer increased my curiosity even more.
From then on I began to think frequently about the story of that bottle.
Until our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary arrived.
Victor took out an old photo album.
We spent the afternoon reminiscing about some of the best moments of our life together.
Finally, he pointed to the bottle and said:
—Someday you will know why this little tradition has been so important to me.
—And why don’t you tell me now?
Victor smiled.
—It’s not the right time yet.
Months later, Victor was no longer home.
The house felt different and much quieter.
One night, at exactly nine o’clock, I prepared two glasses out of habit.
Then I stared at them for a few minutes.
The next morning I took the old bottle and decided to finally discover what was behind that tradition.
I took it to a laboratory to determine its exact composition.
A few days later I received a call.
—Mrs. Carter, we would like to explain the results to you personally.
Emily came with me.
The specialist greeted us and placed several documents on the table.
—Do you know how long it’s been part of your routine?
—For about thirty-five years.
The specialist nodded.
—Then I think you’ll find it interesting to learn about her story.
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The results showed something completely different from what I had imagined.
That drink was not simply a traditional beverage.
It was a special preparation that Victor had chosen with the help of a professional to be part of my daily routine.
The specialist also showed me some old documents.
My maiden name appeared on them.
I discovered that, during the early years of our marriage, I had received an important recommendation related to taking care of my well-being.
At the time I didn’t want to pay too much attention to the matter and I put those documents away.
As the years passed, the memories of that time became more distant.
Victor, however, never forgot them.
He sought professional guidance and for many years he obtained for me the preparation that should be part of my routine.
I placed it in a simple bottle so that it all seemed like a normal part of our daily lives.
Afterwards, the specialist handed me a letter that Victor had left.
“Dear:
You once told me that you wanted to enjoy each day without having to constantly think about complicated matters.
That’s why I turned your routine into our little nightly tradition.
In my glass there was only my favorite bitter fruit juice.
I took it with you so you would never feel like you were doing something alone.
Forgive me for having insisted so much on maintaining our little custom.
Perhaps one day you would understand why it meant so much to me.
I just wanted you to be able to enjoy a long and peaceful life.
I held the letter in my hands for a few moments.
For thirty-five years I had thought that Victor simply had a strange habit that he never wanted to explain.
Now he understood that for him that small tradition meant much more.
It was a way of sharing a special moment with me every night.
Since then, when nine o’clock arrives, I sometimes put two glasses back on the table.
One contains my usual preparation.
The other one was the bitter fruit juice that Victor enjoyed so much.
I raise my glass to the empty chair and say:
—A glass for another day and for the thirty-five years we shared.