This was my second Christmas without Steve. Anniversaries like these are always difficult but this year there was a silver lining.

Imagine my surprise when a case of 12 bottles of wine arrived from Naked Wines. I didn’t look at the label on the box, I just accepted the delivery. I assumed my son had ordered the wine as he was staying with me over Christmas.

The wine case remained unopened in my dining room until his arrival on the 23rd of December.

"Your box of wine arrived," I said.

"I didn’t order any wine,” he said.

How strange. Then I examined the box. It was clearly addressed to my late husband, Steve Marsden. I was puzzled as our joint bank account had been closed 18 months ago.

I opened the case, examined the wines and found a letter from Naked Wines.

In their letter, they explained how they had been trying to contact my husband to refund his account but with no success. The letter went on to describe how they would be refunding his account with wine. As I read the letter, I started to cry.

I remembered that Steve had been an avid supporter of Naked Wines, he’d signed up as a wine angel several years ago. It felt that the arrival of this case of wine just before Christmas was like receiving a gift from beyond.

Fortunately, I had all my family around me this Christmas, we raised a glass to Steve and shared the mystery wine case story with friends.

I would like to thank Naked Wines for their incredible customer service, their surprise wine delivery really made my Christmas this year.

I still have more bottles to enjoy in 2019 and every glass I raise will be for Steve.

#MyPrelovedLife : 2/1/19