Hi, and welcome back to Kimberly Grace’s Stories Podcast. I’m Kimberly and I want to thank all my readers/listeners for tuning in to hear my stories. Today, you’re in for a special treat as we hear my latest flash fiction story, His Forever Valentine…
Glancing at his watch, Ben hurried down the sidewalk. He was already running late to begin with, and now he risked missing his train. Onlookers gawked as he certainly looked out of place. He wore a dark black tuxedo and was carrying a rather large bouquet of mixed roses. With his other hand, he wrestled with his laptop bag and huge box of Gertrude Hawk chocolates. A few of the women watching him sighed dreamily and elbowed their partners. Ben hid a smile as the ladies pointed in his direction and the men barely looked up from their phones. Valentine’s Day certainly brought out the gamut of celebrations—from the simple to the extravagant.
Ben slipped through the closing doors of the train just in time. Panting, he looked around for an available seat, but quickly realized he would have to stand the whole way. He carefully tried to balance the bouquet on top of the chocolates, but felt his laptop bag slipping from his shoulder. When he tried to adjust himself to fix it, the flowers suddenly started sliding faster off the box than he could quickly react.
Luckily, a sweet, young woman caught them just before they completely took a nosedive and would have crashed messily onto the subway floor. She took a quick sniff of them and smiled at Ben as she handed them back to him. He returned her gorgeous smile with a quick grin of his own, but faltered slightly due to embarrassment. Thankfully, the beautiful woman didn’t seem to notice.
“You must have someone pretty special you’re going to celebrate with tonight. Girlfriend?” she asked, slowly putting more weight and emphasis on the last word so it sounded both like an accusation and a question.
“I do, but not a girlfriend.”
The woman batted her eyelashes and leaned in closer to Ben, causing him to lean back the other way. He glanced up to see how many more stops there were until it would be his turn. He gulped, wondering if he and his special gifts would be able to survive five more stops.
“So, what is it then, a first date? You’re too young to be married.”
Ben swiftly and awkwardly held up his left hand. The woman stepped back once she saw the gold band gleaming in the low-lit train car. She smirked and nodded her head, signaling that she would leave him alone. Ben let out a sigh of relief. The rest of the ride thankfully went smoothly without any further unwanted conversation regarding his attire or his obnoxiously large special Valentine’s Day gifts.
Finally, it was his stop, and thankfully, it was only a short walk to his destination. The famous Italian restaurant was, of course, jampacked tonight. Ben had been disappointed not to pick up his date for this evening, but she had talked him into meeting him there, arguing it would be more practical. He reached up onto his tiptoes to get a better look over the crowd. Unfortunately, his date was rather petite and it would be nigh impossible to spot her in a crowd. That is, until he heard her sweet voice carry loudly over the sound of the live jazz band playing.
Ben shook his head. He should have known he’d find her dancing and grooving to the music. He had to squeeze his way between patrons to force his way over to her. Of course, she looked radiant as always in her shimmering red sequined dress. It was the dress she chose every Valentine’s Day. Ben sidled up beside her and bent down to give her a soft, gentle kiss on the cheek. Then he gently guided her over to their table. The waiters helped them get seated and after they were all settled, Ben handed her the chocolates and the flowers.
“Roses for my Rosie girl. And sweets for my sweetie.”
“Oh, Ben, you shouldn’t have! Whatever did I do to deserve you?”
“It’s our tradition, remember? I’ve never missed a single one in the last five years and I don’t plan to ever.”
Ben watched as Rose took a shaky sip from her glass of water. He could tell she had tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
“Benji, you’re the absolute sweetest, but you shouldn’t be here with me. What about Ava? I’m sure she’s missing you.”
“Ava knows about our tradition and she was the one who insisted I keep it. Besides, I get to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her every day. This is our special day.”
Not wanting to waste their time arguing the matter any further, Ben stood up and reached out his hand to Rose.
“Care to dance?”
The light dancing in Rose’s eyes told him that she would be delighted and he moved his way around the table to help her up. Then they made a beeline straight for the dance floor. They danced to the fast songs until a slower song came on. Ben gently held Rose close to him and softly twirled her around. Then she leaned her head against his chest.
“Oh, Benji. Your grandfather would be so proud of the man you’ve become. Thanks for helping an old gal feel young again.”
“Always, Grandma. Forever and always.”
“Let all that you do be done in love.”
1 Corinthians 16:14
“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
1 John 3:18
Kimberly’s Reflection
Valentine’s Day can stir up a lot of complicated emotions. It’s typically the day that celebrates couples, but I like to think of it as the day we celebrate all the love in our lives. Whether we’re single or not, we can be grateful for the wonderful relationships that pour into our lives. That’s why on Valentine’s Day, I not only celebrate the love I share with my husband, but also my son, my family, and my friends. It’s okay not to have a date for Valentine’s Day. Take the day to honor the love you have in your life, even including pets! And above all, may we remember to thank our Heavenly Father for loving us so much. God’s love is the source of the love we share with others. May we share His sweet heart with the world on Valentine’s Day and every day. Amen.
As always, I am incredibly thankful for you taking the time to read my words! I’d love to hear your thoughts on my story in the comments. If you enjoyed my story, please also consider subscribing or sharing to support me in my writing endeavors. Thank you!
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“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
Hebrews 10:24
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