You’d think that being with someone for 28 years, married for 25, would mean that they actually care, right? That they wouldn’t take you for granted or just overlook you?

Well, apparently my husband, Aaron, had other ideas. We were celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary, and I was walking on air, as though Cupid had shot me with his arrow.

And Aaron?

Nope. He had eyes for someone else the entire night.

This is what happened.

The restaurant smelled like it always had. The rich garlic butter taking over the room, the sizzling steaks, and that faint whiff of something sweet I could never quite put my finger on. It was the same place Aaron and I had come to on our first date, 25 years ago.

Nostalgia should have filled the air, right? Instead, I just felt a knot tightening in my stomach.

“Happy anniversary, sweetheart,” Aaron said, smiling across the table at me. His voice was warm, but something in his eyes just… wasn’t.

In fact, he had been distracted all night, glancing over my shoulder more times than I could count. I followed his gaze, and there she was.

Our waitress.

She was absolutely beautiful, and there was no doubt about it. Tall, long dark hair cascading down her back like she was in some sort of shampoo commercial. She moved gracefully between tables, smiling at each guest, but for some reason, Aaron seemed fixated on her.

She couldn’t have been in her thirties yet. But Aaron, in his late fifties, didn’t seem to mind that.

I reached for my wine, trying to shake off the tightness building in my chest.

Maybe I’m overthinking this.

I took a sip, then cleared my throat. I needed to bring the evening back to us.

“This place looks exactly like it did back then, doesn’t it? Even the paint color hasn’t changed!”

Aaron barely nodded. Instead, his eyes darted back to the waitress again, signaling for her to come over.

“Hi! Are you ready to order now?” she asked, smiling widely.

“Yes!” Aaron said enthusiastically. “I’ll have the steak, roasted potatoes, and a green salad. My wife will have the grilled chicken with mashed potatoes. Right, Claire?”

I didn’t want that. But I wasn’t about to argue. I wanted the tuna steak and sweet potato fries. But something told me that Aaron wouldn’t listen to me anyway.

Instead, he ordered and started talking to the waitress about her life. In a few minutes, we learned that her name was Kelsey, she lived two blocks away in a little apartment, and had a cat named Gypsy.

“Let me get your order to the kitchen,” she said gently, trying to get Aaron to shut up. “It’s getting late, especially if you’d still want dessert later.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Oh, she’s lovely,” Aaron said as she walked away.

The food came, and we ate in an awkward silence. I tried to engage with my husband, to reminisce about our lives together, the adventures we had been on, and the adventures we still wanted to go on.

But he wasn’t present. Instead, his eyes kept looking for Kelsey as she waited on tables.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Excuse me,” I muttered, pushing my chair back. My voice wavered as I stood up, trying not to look too upset. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

It’s just in your head, Claire, I told myself.

But it wasn’t. Aaron was distracted. By her.

The tears hit the second I closed the bathroom door behind me. I gripped the sink, staring at myself in the mirror.

It’s our anniversary, for God’s sake!

I wiped my face, trying to compose myself. I wasn’t about to let this ruin the night. We’d been married for 25 years. This was supposed to be a celebration, not a reminder of how time had changed us.

I took a deep breath, then stepped out of the bathroom and back into the dimly lit dining room.

That’s when I saw it.

The waitress was standing by our table, leaning slightly toward Aaron. She handed him something, a small piece of paper by the looks of it.

My husband looked at it, and I saw his face light up like he’d just been caught doing something he shouldn’t. His cheeks flushed red, and without missing a beat, he quickly tucked the note into his pocket.

My heart sank.

I stopped in my tracks, my feet rooted into the ground. I was just there, frozen in place.

What the hell is going on?

It felt like the air had been sucked out of the restaurant, taking all joy with it.

Aaron looked up and caught my eye as I walked back to the table. He was acting as if nothing had happened, smiling weakly like everything was fine. But I wasn’t fine.

“Everything okay?” I asked him, forcing a smile.

He nodded too quickly.

“Yeah, just… work stuff! The boss knew that we were dining here tonight, he left a message for me. You know, our rule, not to bring our phones to dinner…” his voice trailed off.

His hand fidgeted with his napkin.

Work stuff, I thought bitterly. I didn’t believe that for a second.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur. I barely touched the now-cold food in front of me. And Aaron seemed distant. I couldn’t stop thinking about that note, about the way he acted. By the time we got home, I was so frustrated that I wanted to scream.

I needed answers, but I didn’t even know where to start.

I watched as Aaron moved toward the trash can. He had the note in his hand, crumpled into a ball. Without a word, he tossed it in and headed toward the door.

“I’ve got to run to the office for a bit,” he said. “I’ll be back soon.”

I nodded and continued to take my heels off.

The second the door closed, I rushed to the trash can, my hands trembling as I pulled out the crumpled note. I flattened it out and tried to make sense of the delicate handwriting.

You have a gorgeous wife sitting in front of you, SIR! She looks at you with loving eyes. Meanwhile, you’re staring at me. I wouldn’t have written this, but your beautiful and kind wife deserves better. Appreciate her. Love her!

Oh, Kelsey. That sweet young waitress.

Tears blurred my vision as I sighed in relief, collapsing onto the couch.

I was floored, completely and utterly floored by the waitress and her note.

Minutes passed, maybe hours. I was still sitting there, holding the note. Suddenly, the door opened, and Aaron was standing there holding a bottle of wine under his arm, a huge bouquet of chrysanthemums, and a pink cake box in the other hand.

“Honey,” he said, his voice softer than I’d heard in a long time. “I’m sorry I was distracted tonight. You wanted this evening to be special and I… I ignored that. I’m so sorry.”

He crossed the room, kneeling in front of me.

“Let’s open the wine, eat some cheesecake, and continue our celebration!”

I didn’t say anything. I just held up the note.

“Oh,” he said softly. “You… you read it?”

“I did,” I said.

There was a long silence as Aaron rubbed his face.

“I was embarrassed, Claire,” he admitted. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I’ve been an idiot. I was staring at someone else when I should have been staring at you. I should have been captivated by you. And I… I hate that I needed a note from a stranger to remind me of that.”

He reached for my hand, squeezing it tightly.

“But it worked. I love you. I always have,” he said.

I wanted to stay angry. I really did, but the raw sincerity in his voice broke through.

“I know,” I said. “Sometimes we’re so comfortable together that we forget. But no more.”

Aaron smiled.

The rest of the night, we stayed up late, drinking wine, reminiscing about our first date, and talking like we hadn’t in years. Aaron held my hand the entire time.

The next day, as I left the office, I stopped at the restaurant, hoping to see Kelsey.

“Hi, Claire,” she said happily. “Back so soon?”

“Thank you,” I said. “You have no idea what you did for me. For us. You saved my marriage.”

Her eyes widened, and she smiled the same smile she had given us the night before.

“I’m glad,” she said.

“Here,” I said, handing her a gift card. “This is for the department store that I manage. Come on over and spoil yourself when you’re ready.”

I left feeling renewed.

Like I could easily handle another 25 years with Aaron.

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |

I Found a Love Note Written on Our Bathroom Mirror – But It Wasn’t Meant for Me

When Madison sees a note on the bathroom mirror, she chalks it up to her husband being sweet after their night out. But when she talks to him about it, his awkwardness makes her feel that the note isn’t for her. Could Ryan be cheating on her?

It started how things usually do: quiet and unassuming, with a sweet moment between my husband, Ryan, and me. Or so I thought. I was getting ready for the day when I noticed a love note written on a Post-it on the fogged-up bathroom mirror. The words threw me for a loop.

Miss you already, last night was amazing! XOXO.

My first thought?

That Ryan left me a surprise. I felt a little spark, honestly. After a few years of marriage, little things like that can really brighten your day. We had gone out for dinner the night before, and I had too many cocktails, so when we got home, I had just hopped into bed, makeup and all. I slept like the dead and only noticed the note now.

I grabbed my phone and texted him right away.

Hey Babe! I saw your little note on the mirror. So cute! I loved it! 😘

Read the full story here.

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.