Romance: It ain’t dead.

Love actually is all around.

Valentine’s Day and my very first valentine was 1,500 miles away. I come home from work. Nothing in the mail for me. Sadness and frustration begin to set in.

I text Paul. No response. I was this close to throwing on sweats and calling it a day, but instead put on a purple shirt I hate and jeans just in case he wanted to Skype. The shirt could easily be changed. The jeans were needed to keep me from feeling too blah.

My dad had disappeared on some mysterious work dinner. “On Valentine’s Day? That’s odd.” My mom shrugged.

Starving, I made myself a giant bowl of pasta, chock full of garlic. What did I care? The one man I wanted to kiss wasn’t nearby.

Still no reply from Paul. Odd. He’s usually pretty good about replying.

Frustration and now confusion mounting, I watched Big Bang Theory, a show we both love. My emotions start to ease a bit. I check Facebook. My cousin posted a note about his mother’s struggle with cancer. Such a wonderful person shouldn’t have to fight such an awful disease, I lamented as the tears began to well up in my eyes.

I wanted chocolate to soothe me. None was around.

I heard a car door. My dad was home. The door opened…

“Hi, honey! I’m home!”

OH MY GOD!

Paul walked in the room!

I can’t believe the surprise. I was already emotional and started to cry with joy. I had no idea he was coming. I think I hugged him for five minutes, smearing mascara all over his hockey jersey.

His visit was my Valentine gift. Never before had I received such a wonderful gift. It was the type of thing you read about in silly romantic comedies. Fantasies like that don’t happen in real life, do they? Your boyfriend flies into town for a surprise Valentine’s Day visit. Do men really do that?

Paul is the most romantic person I’ve ever met. He planned it perfectly and apparently had been planning it for months. Never once did I suspect that he was going to give me such a spectacular gift. I still can’t believe he was really here.

My entire life I will remember the moment he walked in the door, “I can’t believe you’re here!” I couldn’t stop saying that even up to the moment he hopped on the plane back to Minnesota. I was overwhelmed by his romantic gesture.

This entire weekend I was filled with the feeling of being amazed by a man who loves me. I will tell our grandchildren “If you want to know how to be romantic, take a lesson from your grandfather. He’s got one heck of a Valentine’s Day story to tell.”