Moving Mountains (Patrick Kane)

A Hairy Situation .47

Patrick

I can't remember the last time I've really cared about Valentine's Day. If I ever even cared to start with. To me it's usually just another day. A excuse for people to spend more money than they usually would on their significant others. The industry's are just taking advantage of peoples feelings and honestly it's kind of annoying.

And now I'm starting to sound just like Valerie too.

But the way she makes me feel, that's reason enough to celebrate our love. I might not have believed in Valentine's Day but loving her could convince me that big foot is real to be honest with you. She deserves to hear how much she means to me. To every life she's touched. Not just today but every day. She is an incredible human being, and being loved by her is reason enough for me to have a smile on my face. And I tell her all the time how much she makes me happy, how she shows me what it truly means to love and to be loved. I'll say it as many times as I need to until she believes me. Never want to miss the chance to let her know just how much she means to me.

So I head over to her place and she makes us breakfast. I notice a few more things up in her apartment and it makes my heart happy. She likes to play like she doesn't have a personality so people won't want to be around her, but the truth is she has many great attributes and didn't want to show it. Or rather she didn't know how. But she has a picture of a yellow sunflower like the pin I got her all those months ago hanging on the wall and even some more pictures of us up. It was good to see her open up even if I'm the only one around to see it.

After a great heart themed breakfast she sits on the floor in front of the couch I lay upon. She reads a book while I scroll through my phone and I wish my family a happy Valentine's Day. It only took a few moments before I become bored with that so I lock my phone and turn to Valerie, her head siting on the couch in front of me. Her hair as long as I've seen it in the months of us knowing each other. It was naturally wavy which is why it was usually kept short. She got it cut not too long ago but it was already longer than what it was before she cut it.

Hair is something that I never really cared much about. I mean it's just hair. I think it looks good in every form and shape, or even if people lack any hair it all. We can't chose the color or the hair type we're given. It's not really something worth getting caught up in.

But Valerie's hair seemed to always look beautiful. Up in a bun or resting on her strong shoulders. She took good care of her hair and it looked so soft. It was so shiny it almost looked fake.

"Can I play with your hair" I wonder.

"Why" she asks. Of course that's her response.

"I used to do my sisters hair. I promise I won't mess it up" I beg.

"Okay. But I don't understand why this is what you want to do" she insists.

I take a handful of hair and pick it up. It pours out through my fingers as I smile. "I like playing with hair. I could never let mine get long enough to do anything fun with it but I can actually braid and do pony tails in other people" I explain.

"Really" she questions as she turns her attention from the book to me.

"Yeah. It's actually kind of fun. I can do your hair" I insist.

She raises a eyebrow trying to figure out if I'm being serious or not.

"What are you gonna do to my hair" she questions.

"Just two braids. Nothing crazy" I promise.

She looks at me for a second before turning back to her book. "Alright. But don't get knots in my hair" she begs.

"I won't" I smile.

It takes me a few tries but I get her two French braids and she uses my phone to take a look at my work. She smiles really big as she admires her hair.

"You did a great job Pat" she praises giving me butterflies.

"Thank you. I am a man of many talents" I tease.

"Yeah but I don't think you're gonna go around telling people about this one" she giggles.

"No but I do want some pictures for my sisters. They're gonna be so jealous" I insist.

We take a few pictures together and I send them off. I was really proud of my work and maybe I will show a few more people so they can see that I'm skilled both on the ice and off of it.

Eventually I pull her onto the couch with me and start to cuddle. We didn't need a expensive meal or some grand gester to celebrate this holiday. As long as I have her, then I know I'll be quite alright.

Her hands wrap around my arms as she tightens my grip on her. I smile to myself as I admire how much she has warmed up to being tangled up like this. She wasn't sure how to feel about it at first and I get it. Cuddling and hugs and saying "I love you" wasn't how she was raised. That was never her love language. But as it turns out she really likes cuddles and kisses and holding hands. She never misses a chance to be as close to me as possible.

"If you wrap my arms around you any tighter you're going to pass out" I tease.

"You can't blame me, I feel safe in your arms. Like I can be vulnerable and you won't take advantage of that. Like I can show sides of me I hide because you will accept me no matter what. I've never felt like I was home anywhere. No matter where I was I never felt like I would belong there. Then you came along and you opened your arms and all the sudden... I was home.

And as good as that feels I'm still afraid. I don't want to lose this feeling, I don't want it to change. It can't be like Valentine's Day where it's like this once in a while. While I might not have grown up on affection like this, I couldn't imagine living without it. Or without you" she says.

I place a soft kiss on the top of her head as I squeeze her as tight as I can without hurting her. "I'll never let you go, like the moon will never be without the sun or the sky without the stars" I promise.