Their Unforgettable Valentine
How could he forget Valentine's Day?
The one day out of the year that's dedicated to spreading the love to friends, family, and spouses – and he forgot. Time seemed to tick by unnervingly fast as Keith strained his eyes to gaze at the alarm clock perched on the night stand on his side of the bed.
12:21 a.m. Twenty-one agonizing minutes had gone by and he hadn't thought of anything special to do for his wife.
What was there to do? The happily married couple had been wedded for a good five years, and dated for two. He's thought of all the romantic gestures a man could come up with. Picnics on the beach... then sex. Being taken out to a nice, pricey restaurant... then sex. Leaving a love letter scavenger hunt that led her to the first time they met... then amazing sex in the back of his old 1993 Ford F-150 Lightning pick-up truck.
Everything he could think of, has already been done. This year it had to be different; yet between getting the new promotion last month and having more strenuous hours, Keith hadn't found the time to plan for anything, let alone remember Valentine's Day.
"What can I do", he pondered laboriously.
His wife snuggled herself deep within her husband's chest, his warmth almost becoming her nightly addiction. Keith enclosed his muscled arms over her petite size and trapped her against the searing hot flesh of his chest. Thick silk covers and an active heater made the room turn into a borderline sauna. Nonetheless, no matter how much the temperature rose, he never complained. The feeling of his wife's bare skin was enough to subdue any discomfort from the overbearing heat.
Out of all the loving gestures he's given her over the years, what was something he's never done before? How can he make today stand out?
Forget the clichéd flowers, hearts, and chocolates. That's too predictable, something that every woman would expect... Keith wanted to go beyond the expected.
Something that she would never see coming.
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"I guess he must've forgot this year," Mrs. Powers huffed as she walked up the cobblestone pathway that led to the front door of her house.
She hadn't received anything from her husband all day. No breakfast in bed, no cute visit at work, no lunch date – nothing. To make matters worse, she had to endure everyone else being all cuddly and loving. Almost all the staff in her department had their desks adorned with flowers, cards, heart shaped boxes of chocolates; and the only thing she had was a stack of papers.
Jealousy should have been coursing through her veins by now with a heavy layer of rage coating her body like a second skin, but she couldn't will herself to do so.
Mrs. Powers has seen her husband fall dead on his face from exhaustion way too many times in the past month. It would be rude of her not to take his state of mind into account. She should've made this day about him. Gave him breakfast in bed, met him at work, took him on a beautiful lunch date. That's why a sparkling new wrist watch and gold chain stayed nicely tucked under her jacket as she made her way inside.
If she knew one thing about her husband, it's that he loves himself some watches and chains.
"Baby, I'm ho..." the last word seemed to be trapped in her throat as she took in the front entrance. Sounds of Marcus Canty's Won't Make a Fool Out of You, boomed in low a volume around the home. Walls glistened all over, half lit by the dimmed lights and the other half dancing with the controlled flames of scented snickerdoodle candles.
