Happy Valentine's Day

Yesterday Gregory urgently needed to tell me, "I don't...." Then he put his hands in the shape of a Valentine "...have one for you."

"We can stop in at Barnes and Nobel and you can buy one for me." I replied, pleased that he knew Valentine's Day was not too far off.

Tonight on our way home from dinner with friends we stopped in at B&N and I pointed him towards the Valentine's Department saying, "Go pick out one for me, I'll pay for it, and I promise I won't peek."

I was looking at books when he came up to me and said, "I think I found one but there is a problem."

"Show me, and I won't peek." He showed me a display card but there were no extras available. I explained the situation and pointed him towards another rack of cards. "You'll have to find another one you like."

He found one he liked, gave it to me (I didn't peek) and I paid for it asking the cashier to put it into the envelope without my seeing it.

We got home. I gave the card to Gregory and through no more about it. I was at my computer doing some writing and five or ten minutes later asked into the living room, "Are you doing OK?"

"No." came the reply. I went to see what the matter was. Gregory had been sitting at his desk, red envelope in hand, "I don't know what to do."

"Well take the card out of the envelope. I won't peek." He did so. "Now open the card." He did so. "And sign your name on it."

"That's not easy, I can't write."

Thinking fast on my feet, I gave him his pencil holder full of colored pencils (all the while not peeking) and said, "Well then draw me a picture." Which he did, put it in the envelope without help, and sealed it. "How did that go?"

"You know," he realized, "I don't think I can write anymore."

"Well, that's OK, you can tell me and I'll write for you." He liked that.

Now comes the difficult part for me, waiting to see what the card looks like. Last March when he proudly gave me my birthday card, it showed two bears in adjoining rockers, holding hands, but the card wished me a Happy Easter. It certainly was the thought that mattered, although I felt sad.