Valentines Day (finished)

February 5th

Matt was walking home from job hunting when he caught a couple. They were sitting together just talking. They couldn't be more than seventeen. One of them looked even younger. The boy was nervous, hiding something behind his back while the girl talked to him. He moved his hands to his front and revealed a small white rose. The girl visibly gasped in surprise. She nodded happily, and spent the rest of the meal holding hands.

Well, Matthew could only guess that they spent the rest of the meal holding hands. He could only view them for about fifty seconds before he'd walked on. However, they held hands through their meal arriving and the boy seemed to be eating with his non-dominant hand, so it was safe to assume that he wasn't planning on letting go. This, was December 18th.

*

It was some time before he saw them again. There was a short exchange of, seemingly harsh, words said to each other, then silence. They didn't look to be talking, and the girl was trying to face away from him. The boy pulled out another white rose and gave it to her. The girl seemed reluctant at first. Then she took it. Finally, she ran around the table and gave him a hug and a kiss.

Matthew smiled. He thought back to the first times of when he and Stephanie were dating. He gave her small things. He showed her little things. Trying to give her the impression that he cared. That he really did love her.

He remembered watching Stephanie. Watching as her face would light up with joy. Watching her be happy with his little actions. The first time he showed her the fourteen days of Valentines. Her response of happiness. Her joy that he cared enough to not just give once when it was expected, but fourteen times, even if it wasn't required.

Then he ran into a lamppost. He decided that he should pay more attention from here on out. This, was January 14th.

*

It was a loud street that day. It was Los Angles, so it was always loud, but today more so than others. However, you didn't need to have sound to tell that the couple was having an argument. Their body language told you that. He was point at her and she was clearly refusing the accusation. She slammed her fist into the table for emphasis with something she was saying. The coffee jumped and landed all over her hand.

The boy rushed over to help her hand. The girl nodded her head, signifying that she was just fine. He appeared to sigh and sat back down. There was a momentary pause and the boy reached into his bag and pulled out another white rose and set it on the table. The girl picked it up and sniffed it. The boy scooted the chair over to her, rubbed her hand, leaned in, and- a bus obscured Matthew's view.

It was probably for the best. For some odd reason, each time he saw them there, he always slowed down. Matt tried to pick up his pace. His job hunting wasn't becoming successful, and no amount of staring at cute couples would change that. After all, it was January 29th.

*

Matthew found himself in a strange situation. He was walking down the street. The one he always took home. Taking the exact same route as he always did. Yet everything looked, backwards? No, that wasn't right. He finally caught it. He was on the other side of the street. No wonder it all looked so different.

Matt caught the couple at their usual spot. He smiled. These two always brightened his day. They didn't seem in a big fight today. That always gave his relationship hope. The boy was talking to her, excitedly. She... she was just staring at him. Matt couldn't say for sure because he could only see her back. But her hand was resting on her chin, and her head was slumped to one side. A strategy he'd employed to stay awake in boring lectures during college.

The boy motioned an one minute motion. He reached behind him and into his satchel. The girl got up, grabbed her purse and walked away; passing Matt as she left. Matt's pace slowed down to a meander. The boy turned around with a white rose and a small box. He looked around confused. The reality slowly dawned upon him. He dropped the items on the table.

Matthew stopped at the table and observed the items. A white rose. There were blood on the thorns. Handpicked, most likely by an ameture. The boy probably got it for her, pricking himself as he did it. Then there was the box. It was small, velvet, had a purple tint, and a small golden hinge.

Matt didn't have to guess what was inside. He'd used the exact same box before. Thousands were probably sold daily. All containing containing hopes and dreams. Inside was a small band of gold, to be worn as a symbol of permanent love. The boy leaned into the table and cried. Matthew was tempted to comfort the young lad, but he couldn't explain it. How could he explain that heartbreak was normal when he knew nothing about their relationship? How could he tell them that he'd been watching them for a couple months now?

So he didn't say anything, on February 5th.

*

"Hey there honey," called Stephanie, hearing her husband come in. "How was your day?"

"Good," replied MatPat somberly. He came into the kitchen to join her.

Stephanie, who was digging around in the fridge, closed the door and was greeted to a white rose. "Oh my gosh," she joyed, taking the flower. "You got this?"

"Yes," he replied, smiling a bit. "Do you like it?"

Steph examined the stem. It was a bit damp, but there were nothing else special about it, other than its beauty. She ran her finger up one of the thorns. "Woah," she called a bit nervously. "That's pretty sharp. Lucky you didn't cut yourself."

Matt nodded. "Do you like it?" he repeated.

"Of course I like it," she responded. She took both of his, surprisingly wet, hands in hers and pushed them out to the sides; peaking up to give him a kiss.

Matt sighed happily. He took the rose and went to find a vase they could put it in.

Stephanie looked around the kitchen, trying to remember what she was making a second ago. Sticking her head back in the fridge she called, "Say Matthew, what do you want for dinner."

Matt placed his hand on her shoulder. "Can we, um wait with dinner?" he asked.

Steph looked up. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he lied. "I just was wondering if we could cuddle and think about how happy we are.

"I like that idea," she said, taking his hand. They went to the bedroom and cuddled up together. Matthew was glad. He was happy that they were together, and would always be.