At 20, Erin and Mike married and shared a beautiful life for 56 years. However, at 76, Mike decided they were too old for romance, leading to a heartbroken Erin filing for divorce. Then, something unexpected happened.
One day, Erin asked her husband Mike, “Why don’t you bring me flowers anymore?” After 56 years of marriage, Mike had suddenly become unromantic, sparking gossip among their friends.
Mike, sitting on the couch and reaching for the remote, replied, “Erin, you’re not going to die if I don’t bring flowers every day.”
Erin was upset. “That’s unfair. You haven’t made a single romantic gesture in the last month. What’s going on? Do you have a romantic relationship? At our age?” she cried out, hands on her hips.
“For goodness’ sake, Erin. We’ve been married for decades, and I’ve given you something every day. But after a short break, I’m suddenly betraying you? Are you out of your mind?” Mike asked.
“I just don’t get it! Don’t you love me anymore?” Erin screamed.
Mike stood up and looked at her seriously. “Maybe I’m tired of being the only one doing romantic gestures!” he exclaimed. “Erin, it’s been 56 years! I was the only one who did anything romantic. I took you on dates, bought flowers and gifts, did everything! And you just accepted it without giving anything back!”
Without waiting for Erin’s stunned reaction, Mike left for a walk to cool down.
Erin leaned against the kitchen table, reflecting on their marriage. Mike wasn’t completely wrong. She rarely bought him gifts or asked him out. She justified her actions by saying that in their time, men were more responsible for romance, but she realized this was a weak excuse.
Erin thought cooking, maintaining their home, and raising their children was enough. However, their kids had moved out years ago. She continued to cook and clean, but it was clear that Mike was under a lot of pressure to keep their romance alive. Erin decided to change that.
When Mike returned, she asked him out on a date and offered to pay. But he declined, saying, “I don’t want to do that right now,” and barely spoke to her that evening.
Erin thought, “Okay, he’s upset now, but I can wait for his anger to pass.”
Sadly, nothing she did pleased him. Mike rejected every romantic gesture she made. He even scowled at some flowers she brought him.
“You think these are more for you?” Mike asked, scowling. “Erin, you don’t have to do this. We’re too old for this already.”
“What are you trying to say? I’m just trying to return the favors I haven’t given in 56 years. Why can’t you accept it?” Erin retorted, confused.
“Because I didn’t want this. I just want us to let go and relax. We are old. We’ve had enough romance. Now, it’s time to just… be,” Mike said, handing back the flowers before heading to the porch to smoke.
Erin’s heart ached as she watched him sit outside. She couldn’t understand why he had suddenly lost interest in romance. Does love have an expiration date? She pondered sadly as she returned to her room.
Despite the difficulty, Erin tried to adapt to this new arrangement. Mike stopped giving her kisses and hugs, and she became shy around him, something that hadn’t happened in 50 years. After two months of no change, Erin decided to file for divorce. She couldn’t live with someone who didn’t love her.
Mike, though shocked, agreed to move out while Erin stayed in their home. Their children were affected by this new situation, and while their son Henry took Mike in, daughters Marissa and Alexandra tried to convince Erin to reconsider. But Erin was firm, saying, “There’s no reason to stay married if the romance is over.” She filed for divorce, and it was finalized a few months later.
Mike was at Henry’s house when a call came in. Henry’s wife answered, then exclaimed, “What?!”
Mike looked up from his book, seeing her worried expression. She said, “We need to go to the hospital, Mike. Erin just had a heart attack!”
Mike was stunned but quickly sprang into action. He grabbed his jacket and they rushed to the hospital.
At the hospital, the doctor informed them that Erin was stable but had limited movement. Mike sat by her side and didn’t leave, feeding her and keeping her company. When she was discharged, Mike insisted on staying at their home to help.
Their children knew the truth. Despite the divorce, Mike never stopped loving Erin. Soon, the romantic gestures and flowers returned.
Erin, in turn, began reciprocating his efforts once she recovered. On what would have been their 58th anniversary, they rekindled their love and remarried.
Lessons from this story:
- Reciprocity is crucial in relationships. Both partners need to put in effort to maintain a healthy relationship.
- Understand your partner’s love language. Knowing what makes your partner feel loved is key to preventing issues.
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