Sometimes, love shows itself in the smallest, most unexpected gestures. It doesn’t always come in the form of grand romantic surprises or expensive gifts. Sometimes, it’s as simple as a husband standing in the aisle of a grocery store, staring at a wall of sanitary pads, determined to get it right for his wife.
Last month, I found myself in that familiar monthly situation where I realized too late that I had run out of pads. It was late in the evening, I was already curled up in my pajamas, and the thought of dragging myself to the store felt unbearable. So, I turned to my husband with a sheepish smile and asked, “Honey, could you go get me some pads?”
He didn’t hesitate. No awkward jokes, no rolling of eyes, no pretending he didn’t hear me. Just a simple, “Of course.” Then he grabbed his keys and headed out the door.
Now, if you’ve ever sent a man on this errand, you’ll understand why I didn’t expect much. Most women have a story about a boyfriend, husband, or brother who came back with the wrong brand, the wrong size, or something completely off the mark. It’s not malice; it’s just the confusion of facing rows and rows of products that all look the same to someone who’s never had to use them.
So, when my husband walked back through the door twenty minutes later holding the exact brand and size I always use, I was floored. I blinked at the bag, then at him. “How on earth did you know which ones to buy?” I asked, half laughing.
He shrugged casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “By the smell,” he said.
I froze. “The smell?”
“Yeah,” he replied with a grin. “They all have a different scent, right? I remembered yours. I just picked the ones that smelled like you.”
I can’t explain the mix of shock, laughter, and warmth that washed over me in that moment. Pads and tampons aren’t exactly something most men study. But my husband had paid such close attention to me—my needs, my routines, even the tiny details I’d never imagine he noticed—that he could walk into a store, sniff a package, and confidently say, “These are hers.”
It wasn’t just that he got the right pads. It was what it represented. He’d never treated my period like a burden, never acted squeamish, never made me feel embarrassed about the reality of my body. Instead, he paid attention. He remembered. He cared enough to learn, even about something society often tells men to ignore.
That small act opened a floodgate of reflection for me. In relationships, we often talk about love in terms of the big things: the vacations, the anniversaries, the surprise gifts. But real love, the kind that lasts, is built on a foundation of small, thoughtful actions. It’s in noticing the way your partner takes her coffee in the morning, the way he double-checks that you’ve locked the door at night because he knows you worry, or the way she saves you the last bite of dessert without being asked.
When I told my friends about the “pads story,” they laughed at first. Then one of them said, “That’s actually the most romantic thing I’ve heard in ages.” Another admitted her boyfriend wouldn’t even step foot into the feminine hygiene aisle. We ended up talking about how society has trained men to be uncomfortable around anything related to women’s bodies, and how powerful it is when a partner simply refuses to buy into that stigma.
Later that night, as I put the package away in the bathroom cabinet, I found myself smiling. Not because of the pads, but because of what they represented: my husband’s willingness to step into my world without hesitation, to support me in the most ordinary, human ways.
Love doesn’t always need candlelight and roses. Sometimes, it’s about bleach-stained T-shirts because he cleaned up after your cramps had you doubled over. Sometimes, it’s about him running back to the store because he grabbed the wrong size and wants to fix it before you even notice. And sometimes, it’s about him coming home with the exact pads you use—because he remembered their scent.
That night, I hugged him a little tighter. Not just for getting it right, but for showing me, once again, that I had married a man who pays attention to the little things, who loves me not in theory but in practice, day after day.
The truth is, anyone can buy flowers. Not everyone can buy the right pads.
And in that silly, awkward, beautiful moment, I realized that’s exactly the kind of love I want for the rest of my life.
