Valentines Day

• Imogen Hawkins, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2019

Valentines day, February 14, first originated by a saint named Valentinus. This day is dedicated to someone you Love, I did but love doesn’t stay forever.

The plane landed coming home from Paris, my eyes glanced into the distance. I was going to propose to her this valentine, nothing was better.
“I really enjoyed going to Paris and think that …”
She wants to be apart of my life too!
“Peter, I think both of us will be better off without each other. You can get yourself sorted and I have now considered moving to Paris.”

From that day on I thought that I was rubbish, that everyone thought I was never going to pull myself together. I isolated myself from all dating apps (even thought I got so many matches). I never spoke to Mary nor her parents as she said it was the best.

A year later I got over the break up, I stopped moping and thought about the things Mary said. It took a while, but I went to Uni and passed a business degree, all throughout my journey I couldn’t stop thinking about Mary. I want to win her back.

I drove to Mary’s house. Sweating, it was so hot in this suit. The ring in my pocket jabbing at my thigh and the roses I was holding making my nose itch. All I could think about was that flight home from Paris. I knocked on the door and…

“Hello, Oh Peter how are you”
There stood Mary’s frail mother.
“Very good Mrs. Cunning, how are you?”
“Yes I’m ok, Peter please may I ask why you are here?”
“I’m here for Mary. I know that she broke up with me but ….
A gush of tears ran down Mrs. Cunnings cheeks, as she grabbed her handkerchief, I saw a picture of Mary.

“Mr. Cunning what’s wrong?
“Peter, Mary she ummm… She died a year ago, brain cancer. Was diagnosed actually before you started dating her.”
My heart sank, all these years I worked up to this, love was what drove me, she drove me.
“She never make it to Paris?”
“No Peter. She didn’t break up with you for Paris Peter. She broke up with you for this reason now. I supported her so much she kept say that she loved you and.. wait I think she left a gift for you”
“thankyou”
“Happy Valentine’s day Peter”
“I looked at my watch as I ran to my car, of all the days today was Valentine’s Day.”

I drove up to the cemetery where Mary was buried, my black suit fitted for the occasion and the roses sat by her grave. I cried my heart out, she was the only one I loved and ever will.
I sat there in the wet dirt and opened the gift, it was a souvenir of the Eifel tower…. on it wrote ‘forever and always my peter, I will always love you’

Even on Valentine’s day you still have love whether you’re single, dating or married Valentines is dedicated to love itself.