Three Little Words A touching tale

From the mouths of babes, they say, comes the heart of the matter

It’s Valentine’s Day,” Katie reminded her mum. “Did Tim send you a card?” “No.” Val wondered how Katie knew about it. She was only six. “Did you send him one?” she asked. “No.” But Val had considered it. She’d looked at cards in the supermarket but none seemed appropriate. Anyway, she wasn’t sure how Tim felt about her.

“I’m cooking a special meal,” Val said. “He’ll be here later.”

The meal wasn’t special, though, not really, just spag bol. Val hoped that with red wine, salad and garlic bread, her man wouldn’t be disappointed. Her man – was that who Tim was? Tim was a teacher. Away on a training course, he was coming back tonight. He’d phoned several times during the week, complained about the freezing weather, chatted about his colleagues. No mention of missing her.

Today, he hadn’t even texted, let alone sent flowers or a card.

Val stirred the sauce. She loved him, but did he love her? They’d been together six months and she’d hoped that tonight, the most romantic night of the year, he’d say the three little words she longed to hear. But what if he didn’t? What then? Val glanced out of the window. “Katie!” she yelled. “It’s snowing. It’s coming down thick and fast.”

“I thought it only snowed in December.” Opening the back door, Katie peered outside. “Sometimes it snows in June!” “That’s daft,” Katie said. “June is in summer – the sun would melt the snow.”

Val laughed at her daughter’s simple logic. But as the snow continued falling, her worry lines deepened. What if Tim couldn’t get back? What if the motorway was impassable? He’d be stranded.

And if he made it to a hotel, he’d be surrounded by star-crossed lovers enjoying a night of passion. Would Tim and she ever share the same?

Should she tell him how she felt? What if she embarrassed him? And what about Katie? She’d suffered enough.

After Katie’s dad left, Val downsized, which meant changing school. Unsettled, Katie’s school work suffered until she was way behind her classmates.

Worried, Val advertised for a tutor. “Katie needs a bit of help with reading, writing, and spelling,” she explained to Tim when he phoned for details.

Tim came once a week to help Katie. He set her extra homework.

“She’s bright,” he told Val, over a cup of tea. “She’ll soon catch up.”

They started visiting the park after lessons and the cinema at weekends. When Val could find a babysitter, a few proper dates followed. But what now? They could just carry on as before. Yet to Val, February 14th was a milestone, the first Valentine’s day shared as a couple – if that’s what they were.

Val stared out of the window. Huge snowflakes blanketed the grass.

Where was Tim? She tried his mobile but there was no reply.

“Do you want to build a snowman outside?” Val asked Katie.

“No, I’m going upstairs to do some writing and drawing.” It was 9.30 before Tim arrived. “Thank goodness.” Val watched as he shrugged snowflakes off his coat. “I was getting worried about you.”

“Is that so?” Sniffing the herbscented air, he hugged Val to him. “I’m pleased to hear it. I planned on bringing chocolates and flowers. He drew her closer. “I love you…” “I love you, too…” “Don’t worry about not getting each other a card,” Katie said, interrupting the moment. “I’ve made one for us all.”

She held up a sheet of A4. Two wonky white hearts, outlined in black, towered over a smaller and wonkier white heart between them. “The hearts are made of snow,” Katie explained. “So, they can all melt into one big puddle-heart together.”

“What a lovely card.” Pulling Katie into a hug, Val and Tim read the caption crayoned in red: HAPPY VAL N TIMS DAY

“I think I’ve spelled Valentine’s wrong,” Katie said.

But Val and Tim thought the spelling was perfect.