You did not have to remind them.
You did not have to explain the preference again, defend it, or check that the task was done. Nothing dramatic happened. That was the relief.
An act like this may carry love when it grows from sustained attention, is welcomed, and remains open to correction. The same outward act can come from duty or control; appearance alone cannot tell us which.
When care is responsive, it removes more than work. It removes the second task: managing the care itself—monitoring, prompting, preparing to explain again.
For a moment, you are spared the exhaustion of translating yourself into instructions.