#queue didly doo

[theladydothwrite-blog]

Lauren + Marcus: Happy Valentine’s Day

The dawn was breaking, a light pierced through the clouds. Lauren’s small frame shivered in her light jacket as she sat on top of the hood of her car. From way up high, the city street lights were just flickering off as the sun rose proud in it’s golden hue. To face the life she left a couple months back in search for something better…well, something better never came. Because something better was always there. She was just too proud to acknowledge it. Her friends might think she’s wrong. That she deserves better. But life in the real-world definitely opened her eyes more than the sheltered, secure one she was living before. Marcus wasn’t perfect. He showed her that neither was she. And when she moved out that day, she ran straight back into the arms she fought so hard to free herself from because life with Marcus scared her. Scared her because she didn’t like their circumstances and she didn’t know how to fix it. But at least they were in it together and there was always someone there. For the past 4 months she moved back into her parents magnificent house, but it was so big and so empty that the silence scared her more than the uncertainty with Marcus. 

And so she was here, in her car, running back. It seemed like her life was a constant running back and forth. She wouldn’t even take note of what day this whole decision was falling on, not until later. Not until things were sorted out. Would she realized that today was Valentine’s day. A day to be with the ones you love and to show them how much you love them. Love comes in various forms and it is so complicated but it is so powerful that in every tragic story there’s a string of happiness that pulls people together through all the muck. 

With a sigh, Lauren peeled herself off her car and got back inside. She hadn’t been able to get him or their life off her mind. There was no certainty he would take her back or be with someone else. But if she never tried, she’d never know. Turning the ignition on, she pressed the gas and got back onto the main road that led down to the city. She planned as she drove. But when she got there. She didn’t think she could go through with it anymore. The fear of rejection weighed much heavier now that she was physically acting out her plan. Who was she to expect to just show up and have things magically turn out alright?

Right now wasn’t the moment to have those thoughts. She needed to encourage herself to do it and deal with the consequences later. As she was walking up the familiar flights of steps to her old apartment that she shared with Marcus, he was coming down them. This wasn’t how she expected things to go. She was going to go up to the door, knock, and then talk. Not out here, not in the middle of the stairway. It would seem that fate would play out differently. With her hand locked on the railing, she didn’t allow her gaze to fall again. “H-hi,” she let the greeting break out, but she didn’t know what else to say except for the one thing she did know she came here for. “I miss you.”

[theladydothwrite-blog]

Eleanor + Aiden: Happy Valentine’s Day

Dear Aiden,

Happy Valentine’s Day! 2nd one married to you.  In fear of getting too mushy, I won’t say more. But leave you with this, written by a man of lore: (ack! I rhymed. Sorry! #englishmajor) “Love is blind, and lovers cannot see | The pretty follies that themselves commit”

Yours forever,

Eleanor

PS: Don’t you dare move. I’ll be in with treats!

Eleanor placed the handwritten love note on her idle pillow as she waked quietly early in the morning so as to not disturb her sleeping husband. She closed the door to their bedroom and on to the kitchen she went, to whip up a delicious brunch she had been practicing for weeks now. Every night she watched Food Network, it was a joke among her friends that she was only going to achieve burning down the house. Honestly, Eleanor was not the best cook. But she could do more than toast and scrambled eggs and she was determined to get things right. She had gone out the night before and stared at Whole Foods shelves for hours until a helpful woman in a green apron appeared at her side and revealed a knowledge of food that astounded Eleanor. She excitedly lined up all the contents of her purchase on the counter and opened up her trusty cookbook and notepad (where she took notes from watching the Food Network) and got to cooking!

This was, by no means, an exhaustive day. Eleanor loved Valentine’s Day, as much as she complained about it to everyone else. The idea of there being a day solely dedicated to cherishing loved ones was a magnificent reminder. Of course, everyday should be when you show love to your loved ones - but oftentimes love is forgotten in the mundane. Having a day to commemorate it reminds us all that it’s still there. It kind of kicks the gear in check, really. She had already sent out a mass text to all her friends and she sent chocolate-covered strawberries or an edible basket to her parents and parents-in-law. 

There were so many years of so many Valentine’s days that you’d think by now that Eleanor had run out of ideas. But they had this system in place. Each year each person was delegated with the task of planning a certain milestone: anniversary and valentine’s day. Sometimes repetition occurred, but Eleanor always tried to vary it up a little bit. She had cooked him dinner before - granted it was more like warmed up dinner from the Fresh Market down the street…but hey, she was making the effort this year. 

45 minutes later and the meal was ready. It was past 8AM and so she was pretty sure Aiden would be propped up in bed by now. It would be better if he wasn’t. She placed 2 plates of food onto a tray, along with a simple and small vase with a single rose. She brought out their fine china from the wedding and served two cups of coffee along with 2 champagne flutes filled with mimosa. She only carried the essentials, the extra she left in the kitchen figuring they could come out as needed. What she had planned for him was a super mega lazy Sunday where they didn’t have to leave the bed at all if desired. 

The tray was heavy and she feared something might topple over if she reached for the door. So instead, she nudged the handle with her foot. It took all her balance and willpower to keep everything on the tray from spilling as the door slowly creaked open. She set the tray on her nightstand and climbed back into bed. She nestled her face into the crook of his neck and kissed her husband till he murmured he was awake. Winding her arms around him she said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, my love. Did you get my note and go back to sleep or have no idea what’s going on? Either way, I love you.” She winked at him, still sleepy and ruggedly handsome in his wake. These were the moments she loved the most. 

[theladydothwrite-blog]

Landon + Allyson: Happy Valentine’s Day

A few years ago this day would have been a day to look forward to. Now it was one that only aroused anxiety. What once littered the floor, are forgotten items: rose pedals, champagne flutes, and clothes. Landon Foster was a romantic and to be deprived of such an act was infuriating. In the recent past, whenever he tried to display any ounce of mustered up affection towards his estranged wife, her body would become rigid, tense. A smile plastered on her face and her blonde curls bounced in mock surprise. But it was only a facade for the kids. A forced giggle would escape her lips, yet she’d wriggle her body away from his embrace and distract the kids with heart-shaped cookies she made.

They spoke of how this day in particular was special because it was a celebration of 365 days of loving your family and friends, like a birthday. Landon still recalls the year their eldest, Winston, became cognizant of the romantic aspect of the day. He wanted to bring in a Valentine for a girl in class. The way Amy and Landon approached it was as a team. They encouraged Winston’s thoughtfulness and explained that it was nice to give a Valentine to his other classmates too (it was school policy anyway).

This year, Landon simply shuffled into the kitchen and greeted each of his children with love. Amy was at the counter making french toast in the shape of a heart. He walked by her to grab his cup of coffee. “It was kind of your coworker not to send flowers to the house this year.” He spoke into his first sip. The warm caffeine trickled down the back of his throat. 

“Not now,” Amy spoke through gritted teeth and flashed him a glare, he flicked a smile back at it. Proud that his comment struck a cord. The comment made her rush the breakfast and talk at a higher rate to the kids. As if amping up her tone would make up for daddy and mommy’s lack of romance. The only one they truly worried about was Winston, who at 7 years old could start picking up the negative signs and interpreting them as a bad thing. As Landon watched his son pick apart the french toast heart and barely eat, he wished with all his might that things between Amy and himself had not gotten this bad.

Amy left with the kids to go to her mother’s house. Landon had the excuse that he needed to be at the hospital today. Winston hugged him tight and told him to make the patients feel loved. Although this wasn’t the first time Landon had to work on Valentine’s day, there was something about the mood this morning and the extra-tight Winston hug now that solidified the winds of a big ol’ life storm about to hit. He watched his wife place their three children into the car and drive off. Landon went about the rest of his morning routine, but once en route to the hospital - he couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t like he was completely innocent. But with the discovery of Amy and her coworker last year, it tore out a white flag and raised a green flag for him instead. The feelings he didn’t know he could have for someone else, he was slowly allowing himself to feel. But it was all very, very wrong. It could all go very, very bad. Yet it did not stop him.

Her apartment was on the way to work. He had the flowers in the backseat. He reasoned that it wasn’t horrible after-all. It was no big deal. Showing up at her door. Delivering flowers. People do it all the time. His knuckles whitened as he gripped his steering wheel tighter. If it was so wrong, why did it feel so right? Landon turned left onto her street and parked by the curb outside her apartment. He sat in his car for a solid ten minutes, wasting time because he had half the thought to scrap this entire idea. What if her boyfriend was home? Allyson had told Landon they weren’t in the best of places lately, but she knew about Amy and him…so, it was basically the same thing. This was a bold move, coming here. But he didn’t want to simply send flowers to her door and have her boyfriend pretend to take the credit for them - like what happened to him last year with Amy’s surprise flower delivery. 

Landon walked the path up to her door. There was no way of telling if her car was there or not because the whole apartment complex’s lot was filled with cars and he couldn’t pick hers out. He hid the roses behind his back and knocked. When Allyson opened the door, he quickly peeked inside to make sure that it was clear before he pressed on and kissed her gently on the cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day,” he whispered and winked at her before sauntering away back to his car. It was childish, he knew. But he didn’t want to stick around and ruin a day for her if her boyfriend was around. She’d need time to hide those flowers. But at least he knew she got them.