In any relationship there is give and take, and some deception _ sometimes for the good of the relationship. This is a story of true love and one man's deception of his wife. One day, a boy still at college saw a girl who took his breath away he was so sure she was the girl for him at first sight. But the boy was basically shy, and she was so beautiful that he could not bring himself to speak to her. For weeks he watched her and willed himself to say something, anything, to break the ice, but the chance eventually came when his friend invited both the boy and the object of his desire to have coffee with his new girlfriend. The boy was so nervous. He barely looked up from the table and played with the salt shaker to hide his feelings. When the coffee arrived, he moved without thinking and poured salt instead of sugar into his cup. "What are you doing?" his friend exclaimed.
"Oh, didn't you know _ I always have salt in my coffee," the embarrassed boy stammered. He drank the coffee hungrily, mortified but unable to admit his foolishness. But he caught the girl's eye when she laughed at him and the ice was broken. After that, they dated several times. And each time the coffee came, she lovingly poured salt into his cup and he, unable to admit his first lie, drank it. Time passed, and they married. The girl was overjoyed to have found such a kind, considerate, beautiful man, and he in turn knew that he loved this girl more than life itself. He could never hurt her. Every morning, she prepared his coffee, adding a generous teaspoon of salt, and watched him with adoring eyes as he drank. They talked about their life, the weather, their house, but he never could bring himself to tell her about the coffee when he looked into eyes so full of love. As always happens with true love like this, the day came when fate forced them apart. The man suffered a stroke, fell into a coma and died suddenly. His wife was devastated. For days she could not do anything but sit at the table and cry over the wonderful times they had shared together.
Eventually, she found the courage, and, sorting through a box, she came upon a letter addressed to her. "My darling, if you are reading this, then we are no longer together as we have been. Now I must clear my conscience," the note said. "When we first met, I was so taken by your beauty that I poured salt into my coffee accidentally. I was too proud to admit that I had been so stupid, and then it was too late and I was caught in my lie. "My darling, I deceived you. But each time I saw you pour the salt, and saw the love in your eyes, I melted and I never had the heart to tell you. "Our life together has taught me that salt mixed with love creates a form of sweetness that I would never have believed. "I would give anything to drink one more cup of salty coffee with you and enjoy that love you gave me every day. I shall take with me to my grave all the sweetness you have given me in our years together." I never meant to deceive you. Forgive me. I love you."