For months I hinted that I needed a new wedding ring, since I had developed an allergy¹（过敏，反感） to gold. On my birthday, while I was gardening, my husband asked me for gift suggestions. I held my hands up and said, "Well, you'll notice that my hands are bare."

Later that evening I opened my present with enthusiasm（热情） . "Happy birthday," he said, as I unwrapped（打开） a new pair of gardening gloves.