Valentines Day (finished)

February 6th

Matt and Steph were window shopping again. They expected to buy nothing, and they'd made a rule to keep their hands in their pockets, but they were happily window shopping. They weren't shopping anywhere special. They were just looking through the jewelry cases.

"Why are we looking at rings?" grumbled Matt. "You have a wonderful ring at home."

"Yes, but I don't want to lose it," she responded.

"Okay, but that's no reason to get a new ring." He leaned down and whispered, "I'm afraid they charge us for looking at them for too long."

"Ooh, this one looks beautiful."

"Stephanie, I don't know which one you're looking at, but they all look very expensive."

"Oh, Matthew. Look at that diamond one."

"Oh dear."

"It's so sparkly. I can see a rainbow in it. Can you see it?"

"I can see debt," whimpered Matt. "And lots and lots of bills."

Stephanie rolled her eyes and straightened up. "Why are you so serious all of a sudden?"

"Because one of us has to be. If we're both ridiculous we'd only be leaving Walmart with fifteen bags of candy and sixty cases of Diet Coke."

"C'mon, candy's on sale right now. It's Halloween!"

"And Diet Coke's at a record low. That doesn't mean I'll buy sixty cases."

Stephanie reached into their cart and pulled up the six-pack that Matt had snuck in when he thought she wasn't looking. Matt adapted the same look as a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I said sixty, not one."

Steph laughed and went back to examining the glass casing. She sighed and stood straight again. "I guess you're right," she admitted. "I just want pretty things sometimes." They both stood there somberly for a moment.

"Maybe I could-" began Matt.

"Oh well," Stephanie interrupted. "C'mon we've got places to be before the store closes."

Matthew glanced back. There was a young couple on the other side of the boxed in counter. The woman pointed at something and the man nodded. He payed money to the vendor and slipped a gorgeous pearl necklace around the woman's neck. Matt's hands drifted together and began fidgeting, as if he was the one clipping the necklace.

"Matthew," called a clearly annoyed Stephanie, leaning on their cart.

"Coming," Matt responded, jerking his head away and heading back. That was October 23rd. Now, it was February 6th, and Stephanie was nervous. She pondered her fear as she washed dishes that Saturday. Matthew had rushed out of the house that morning with nothing more than a peck on the cheek and the promise of something when he got home.

Last night as they had been cuddling in bed, though, he was tracing around her neck and caressing her ears. Probably more information than you needed, or wanted, to know, but it troubled Steph. She kept on fearing that Matt was going to get an expensive necklace and earring set.

Stephanie was very worried. She felt he'd been trying to apologize for lost time. He wasn't ever there back in New York, nor could he be. He was always so busy and their time together was always so limited. He barely managed to keep up the fourteen days of Valentines, and now it just seemed like he was trying to beat a personal record.

*

Stephanie was lying on their bed when Matthew came in. "Steph!" called Matthew.

Steph gulped. She wasn't looking forward to this conversation. "I'm in here," she replied. Sitting up, she watched Matthew walk in. "Matthew," she said, before he could get a word out, "we need to talk."

"Yes," he asked, sitting down next to her, clearly hiding something in his hand. "What's wrong."

"It's these fourteen days of Valentines," she began. "I'm... I'm loving the care and effort you put in, I really am. It's just that times are really tight right now. I don't mind if you don't do all fourteen days of Valentines. I don't mind if you don't do any Valentines. I understand."

Matt pulled her into a hug and gave her a kiss above her forehead. "It's okay," he relayed. "I did get you something. Happy sixth day of Valentines."

Stephanie bit her tongue nervously. Matt produced a small red box from his side and gave it to her to open. She opened it and saw two cute small earrings and a small necklace. She blinked in surprise. She'd expected something... fancier. Not that this was bad. It was still pretty and lovely that he'd thought of such a beautiful present.

Steph looked back up at him and licked her lips. "Price?" she inquired. Matt turned the box over and showed the 5$ price-stamp. Stephanie let out a mixed sigh and laugh. Five dollars. That was it.

"Here," directed Matt, taking her hand and leading them both over to a mirror. He took out the necklace and held each end in his fingers. He moved it around her neck and clipped it in the back. Steph grinned as he slid it on and let out a winning smile once it was all the way on.

She turned around and looked at him. "Thank you," she purred, rubbing her head up against his. "This is what I was hoping for."

*

"Dinner," yelled Matthew.

"Coming," called Stephanie, "what are we having tonight?"

Matthew was setting the table for two. He added candles for mood lighting, even though the food did not help spell 'sizzling hot passion.' "We're having," he began shouting.

"I'm right here," Steph interrupted from the doorway.

"Oh," apologized Matt, not looking up from the table, "well, it's rice and beans, like always." He looked up at her and froze. She wasn't dressed up much, just her normal shirt and pants, with a bit of lip gloss, her necklace, and her new earrings.

"Woah," he complimented. "You look..."

Stephanie visibly blushed at his response. "Yes?" she egged on.

Matt just stared at her. "I've run out of words. You're so uniquely beautiful, that I don't think a word exists that can quiet encompass your loveliness."

"Stahp," she said, turning away and slightly pushing his shoulder. She looked back up at him from the angle. "You... You really mean that?"

Matt leaned in and kissed her. "I truly do mean that." He motioned to the table. "C'mon, now that we have all of the lovey-dovey stuff out of the way, let's go have a candlelit dinner."