He met her at a party. She was outstanding, with many admirers, while he was ordinary and went unnoticed.
At the party's end, he nervously invited her for coffee. Surprised yet polite, she agreed. In the coffee shop, his silence made her uncomfortable. Suddenly, he asked the waiter for salt to put in his coffee, drawing stares. Blushing, he drank it.
Curiously, she asked why. With tears in his eyes, he explained that salty coffee reminded him of the sea near his childhood home, evoking nostalgia for his family and hometown. Deeply moved by his heartfelt honesty, she shared stories of her own distant home. This conversation became the beautiful beginning of their relationship.
As they dated, she discovered he was kind, tolerant, warm, and attentive—a man who met all her hopes. She felt grateful for that fateful salty coffee. They married and lived happily. For forty years, she made his coffee with salt.
After his passing, she found a letter. He confessed: his request for salt was a nervous mistake; he had meant to ask for sugar. Unable to correct himself, he embraced the lie, which unexpectedly sparked their connection. Though he disliked the taste, he drank salty coffee his entire life out of love for her, never regretting a moment. "Having you with me was my greatest happiness," he wrote.
Her tears soaked the letter. When later asked about the taste of salty coffee, she smiled and replied, "It's sweet."