At 40, I agreed to marry a man with a disabled leg. There was no love between us…

“Autumn tea should taste like home – a little warm, a little bitter, and full of love.”

I smile, seeing his hair which has turned more gray, and his gait which still limps.

Only, I have never seen a “flaw” in those legs – only a man who is always steadfast beside me, even when life is shaky.

For the past ten years, our lives have been simple:

He still works as an electronics repairman, and I run a small pastry shop in the town center.

In the afternoon, we sit on the porch, sipping tea and listening to the maple leaves fall.

But this autumn is different.

James started coughing a lot, and then one day he fainted in the repair shop.

The doctor at the hospital spoke softly but firmly:

“He has a heart problem. He needs surgery soon.”

I was sh0cked. Continue reading…