Just like sugar

He left the house before the sun was up, so he missed the surprise I left for him on the kitchen nook. That’s where we leave most our surprises. Whenever I come home from a long day at work, I always look on the nook to see if he’s left me a note or gift. My day began with his melodic voice singing “Happy Valentine’s Day”, a song he only knows the words to because he makes it up as he goes along. He told me to be ready at 11 because he was taking the rest of the day off. I showered, cleaned the house, and pounded a shot and a half of cough syrup before he arrived. He was holding something behind his back, which was both exciting and annoying. The latter because we established we weren’t exchanging gifts this year. I give him a big hug and then try sneaking my hands to the small of his back to feel what he’s hiding. He pulls away and tells me curiosity killed the cat. Thank God I’m not a cat, I retort. He laughs and pulls from behind his back…computer speakers? Before he can explain, I’m laughing and almost crying. We’ve been watching “Lost” via my laptop in bed, so the sound leaves something to be desired. Now, he says, we can watch our DVDs in surround sound. I wish I could give his kind of gifts—the kind of gifts I always want and forget to request.

I rush him over to the kitchen nook for his surprise, but it’s not half as exciting. I bought him a bucket with a frog wearing a crown (well, because he’s my Prince Charming) stuffed with candy. My gift makes his gift look like frankincense and myrrh.

He’s brought out his car to the front of our house as I lock the front door. I run down the flight of steps and hop into his car. He has my favorite Jack Johnson CD playing and there’s a red gift bag on the passenger seat. I thought we weren’t exchanging gifts, I moan. He smiles and increases the volume. I can’t believe he remembered. Months ago, I smelled a body wash and lotion set that reminded me of our wedding in Hawaii…the set is now sitting in my lap. It looks like you’ve got a massage coming your way, he says. Darn it….he’s good.

We eat an amazing lunch at Houston’s and make our way over to Newport Beach and Balboa. We spend the afternoon talking about our Valentine’s past and try to gage where this one will rank on our list. Probably won’t beat the Valentine’s trip to Santa Barbara after I returned from Europe, but it’ll be close. On our way home, the cars, just like the people, begin to look less European. There’s stop and go traffic. I like staring at people when they drive. Where are they going? What are they thinking? When I stopped looking out the window, I turned to him as he was reaching behind my passenger seat. One more gift. This is for Saturday, he says. I open the box to find a new tennis outfit. Beaming, he told me he picked it out himself. Okay, I couldn’t take it anymore…he couldn’t beat me at this gift-giving game! Well…well…I’m downloading Season 2 of “Lost” for you, I told him, ruining my surprise. And just like that, he lets me think I won. You’re the best, he says.

We get home and plug in my new speakers. We listen as Kate and John Locke go down the hatch in surround sound. I tell him to shhhh because he’s eating his Valentine candy too loudly, I need to hear what Jack’s saying.

At seven, we made our way to dinner. We pass bean sprouts and fresh sweet basil back and forth and sip each other’s soups. With the sounds of Vietnamese music in the background, we laughed and flirted the night away. Flirted, I like the way that sounds. He still flirts with me, just like when we were in high school. So much has changed since then, yet nothing really has. I’m still so in love with him and I love him with a young and innocent love. A love that has never been broken or tainted, just a pure unrefined love that seeps from my pores and into his.