He always took a bottle from the top shelf of the cabinet, poured himself some dark liquid, and waited for me to finish my glass.
“A glass to celebrate another day spent together,” he always said.
When we were newlyweds, I actually thought it was a romantic ritual. I thought Victor just wanted us to spend a few quiet minutes together at the end of each day.
Over the years, this ritual became an important part of our routine.
It didn’t matter if I was tired, had a hard day, or would have preferred something else. Victor always prepared those two glasses.
“I’d prefer something different tonight,” I told him one day.
“It’s just our little ritual.”
“Why is it so important to you?”
Victor smiled.
“Because I like sharing this moment with you.”
Finally, I sat down next to him.
The drink had a very specific aroma and a rather bitter taste. Sometimes it left a strange feeling in the throat, and other times a slight metallic aftertaste.
The weirdest thing was that Victor never offered it to our guests.
