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

Every autumn morning, I still made two cups of tea, placing one in front of the empty chair.

I still whispered like before:

“James, the tea is ready. It’s just that this year, the maple leaves fell earlier.”

I know he’s still there – in the wind, in the scent of the tea, in my heartbeat.

There are loves that come late, but last forever – no need for vows, no need for time to prove.

Just one cup of autumn tea is enough to warm a lifetime.