Tears of Love: Love Story in a Glass Bottle
On the day she moved into their new house, after organizing everything, she took out a delicate glass bottle and said to him, “Dear, every time you make me cry within the next three months, I will add a drop of water to this bottle, representing my tears. If it fills up, I will pack my things and leave this house.”
The man didn’t take it seriously, feeling a bit confused. “You women are so neurotic! You don’t trust me at all? Then what’s the point of being together? I asked you to move in with me to take care of you, not to make you suffer!”
The woman replied, “A good man wouldn’t let the woman he loves suffer even a little bit. I will keep track of why I cry; it won’t be for no reason.”
“Alright then, come here, hug me!” he said.
Two months later, the woman showed the bottle to the man and said, “It’s already half full. Should we take a look at what the problem is?” She handed him a small, beautifully crafted notebook.
The man didn’t immediately open it. His expression showed a hint of surprise, mixed with a smile, as if he couldn’t believe the bottle was filling so fast. He thought she was making a big deal out of nothing, but still found it somewhat cute.
He opened the notebook and began reading. He was surprised at how much she had written. As he read, the woman spoke: “The first time we argued was on the third day after moving in, early in the morning. You were still a bit groggy and somehow managed to squeeze toothpaste all over the mirror, which I had just cleaned. I said you couldn’t even squeeze toothpaste properly, and then you got mad, and we started arguing…”
The man stayed silent. The woman continued, “One night, I asked you to help wash a few clothes because the water was too cold. You were too engrossed in your game and kept delaying. Eventually, we argued, and I was disappointed that you forgot it was my time of the month, and I couldn’t touch cold water. I felt hurt…”
“And another time, I was exhausted, but you wouldn’t go take a shower and go to bed. You knew I’m sensitive, and even the faint sound of typing can keep me up. I got upset and called you selfish, then we argued. You gave a long defense about how I was the selfish one and stormed out to spend the night at an internet cafe. I called you, but you didn’t answer. I was too scared to go find you by myself…”
By now, her eyes were red, and she was getting emotional. “And then, there was another time…”
The man interrupted her, “Honey, please, stop…”
Silence.
A long silence.
Finally, the woman broke the silence, “Are we really not right for each other? If that’s the case, even if we get married, we’ll just end up divorced. We’re both so stubborn, neither of us willing to back down.”
The atmosphere grew awkward.
The notebook was filled with small, trivial incidents, and every argument seemed to stem from the simplest reasons. As he looked through the notebook, the man started to understand her emotions. Men often don’t sweat the small stuff, and he had always assumed that after they made up, everything was fine. He used to think women just liked to dwell on things, but as he read carefully, he began to feel sad. She had recorded not only the events but her emotions as well, summarizing the reasons for each argument. He realized that even the tiniest things, when they accumulate, can become deeply painful. It was clear that her disappointment had slowly turned into despair.
He reflected that each time they fought, they were both trying to find proof that the other didn’t love them anymore. Suddenly, he realized this was a serious problem! And every time they argued, it was when they were both in bad moods, when other worries from life had crept into their relationship.
“Don’t be sad, my love…” the man finally spoke. “Let me take some time off, and let’s go on a trip.”
They went to the same place they had taken their first trip together. So many wonderful memories resurfaced, reminding them how deeply they loved each other. In those moments, she was incredibly gentle, and he was exceptionally considerate.
“Honey, do you still think that if we got married, we would end up divorced?” the man asked.
“I don’t think it’s that we aren’t right for each other. Look at us now, we’re so happy, everything is so perfect. But once we return to our everyday lives, why does everything change?”
“My love, aren’t we living in reality right now?”
She was stunned.
“It’s because we were always focused on the negative and magnified those negative emotions. And we loved to look for signs that the other didn’t love us anymore. Plus, we’re both stubborn, neither willing to lose face.”
The woman realized that this was indeed the case. The truth was, they both just needed a little bit of patience, a little bit of tolerance. The man had put thought into taking her back to the place of their first trip. She remembered how, back then, when they had just gotten together, both had gone out of their way to show each other their best selves.
“There’s still half a month left. If that bottle stays half full, then honey, marry me!”
She snuggled into his arms and smiled.
They eventually got married. They rarely argued after that. If the careless man accidentally knocked over a cup, she no longer scolded him. Before she could say anything, he had already apologized, “I’m so sorry, it’s my fault. Let me buy you two new ones! You can pick whichever you like!” She would laugh and say, “No need to buy more, we still have plenty. Besides, it wasn’t all your fault, I should have placed it better so you wouldn’t have knocked it over!”
It turns out that there is no such thing as “compatible” or “incompatible” — only “cherished” or “not cherished.” The true happiness lies in walking together and growing together.
Thank you for reading! ” Sitestorys “
