Valentine’s romance is alive and kicking – but for this year only
WE’ VE made an executive decision to do Valentine’s Day this year. We never do Valentine’s Day. In the 24 years that we’ve been together, I don’t think he’s ever given me a card or bought me flowers, except for one year when he produced a bunch of half-dead garage flowers – which was actually worse than getting none at all!
We’re not a lovey dovey couple. Sometimes I wish we were, usually when I see another couple gazing into each other’s eyes or holding hands or kissing in public. “Why can’t we be like that?” I muse aloud to which Himself always replies either, “they need to get a room” or “that’s all for show.”
When we first started going out together I used to send him cards randomly with little notes written inside. Then I realised he’d rather I bought him a pint. I’d drop not very subtle hints about how romantic I found it when people wrote letters to one another. He wrote me one letter in 25 years, just before our wedding and which I forced him to write or the wedding was off !
He wrote in giant letters on Basildon Bond – about five lines in total, whereas I wrote 20 pages of my undying love. I’d say he stopped reading after page three. 20 years of marriage later and we’ve reached a compromise – I’ve come to accept his lack of romantic soul and he humours mine by pretending he loves the random cards I still send him.
But this year, this year we are doing Valentine’s Day. We are actually buying each other Valentine presents. His willingness to comply may have something to do with the fact that he’s off on a boys rugby trip for three nights the following week. Obviously he’s trying to stay in the good books!
So he has agreed that we will buy each other presents. Initially they were going to be a surprise but I’ve been down that road before. One year for Christmas I bought him a weekend away in a lovely hotel and he gave me a book token and a pair of pyjamas. Now don’t get me wrong, both were appreciated but ... really?
As a result of previous faux pas we have decided to tell each other what we are buying. I’m buying him a new Deep Fat Fryer and he’s buying me a new iron. He’s very fussy about his chips so this is a subject close to his heart. My iron is on its last legs and I’m very fussy about crease free clothes. Happy Days!
Who says romance is dead and gone?!!
WHEN WE FIRST STARTED GOING OUT TOGETHER I USED TO SEND HIM CARDS RANDOMLY. THEN I REALISED HE’D RATHER I BOUGHT HIM A PINT.