Free My Sweet Valentine by Dairenna VonRavenstone

Part 1:
February 10th
     
    Her name was
Amber. I have loved her since the day I first saw her in high
school. It was September, the first day of school and the weather
was balmy. She was wearing the school’s uniform kilt and her shirt
was a loosely tucked in. Her silky blond hair was framed her
heart-shaped face in gentle curls and waves that made her blue eyes
light up. I decided then that I wanted her for my future wife.
    I wanted to ask
her out so much but decided that I had to get to know her better
first. Some people called me a stalker but I think I was (and still
am) hopelessly in love. She was perfect. Not a genius but smart
enough to carry on a conversation, not super-model gorgeous but
beautiful in her own way. I wanted her so badly.
    This year, I’m
going to make her mine.
     
    ***
     
    The middle of
winter was always her favorite time of year. It because the snow
gave everything a surreal and almost impossible feel to the world.
It was as if a tree was not really a tree but a piece of art
covered in glittering white masses of fluff. Winter also made her
remember the day her husband asked her out which was their first
date during their final year of high school.
    They had been
good friends since the first year of high school when he told some
creepy guy she had no interest in to leave her alone. From there
they had a lot in common: the same movies, books and television
shows. She did have to admit to herself that he enjoyed some genres
more than she, and she would never want to play hockey.
    It had been a
pleasant surprise when he asked her to dinner one cold Valentine’s
Day. She had thought she would go through her entire high school
career with only one creepy stalker following her with other boys
only dating her because she was pretty.
    Winter also
reminded her of when he proposed four years later. He was finishing
his final term in business school and she was finishing her second
choice in degrees once she found her original career choice as an
English teacher would not work out well. This second choice had
been nursing which she took up because of the ability to help
people. Despite the tougher regime she loved her job.
    It had been
after a long day of studying that he insisted on a walk in the
park. At first she disagreed to the suggestion but not because of
the weather. Walking through snow made her exuberant. But she had a
project to finish that was due the next day. He persuaded her in
the end and half-way through their walk around the man-made lake in
the park he got down on one knee and presented her with a slim gold
band with interlocking hearts.
    The ring was
hallow where the two hearts joined, a jewel was supposed to be
present there but he said he had no money for the diamond at the
time (she could attest to that, schooling and basic survival
without outside aide was expensive) but he knew the ring was the
one for her. She said no diamond was needed as the ring was perfect
without it.
    Two years
later, he presented her with a single diamond that fit perfectly
into the ring. It had been a gift on Valentine’s Day, a holiday
that she had started to warm up to since they began dating. Every
year he surprised her with gifts: roses, stuffed bears that
proclaimed their love when squeezed, expensive chocolates that she
loved but would never buy for herself and other such things. He
hardly ever gave her jewelry unless it would mean something to them
as a couple.
    She hoped this
year would be no different, but only time would tell. Three days
previous, he had been called into the office and was told he was
flying to his company’s location in Texas. Depending on how well
the meetings went, he might not make it back on time for
Valentine’s Day.
    The telephone
ringing brought her out of her thoughts and she rushed through the
two-story bungalow to grab the slim portable phone. She took a deep
breath and hit the “talk” button.
    “ Hello?”
she questioned smoothly.
    “ I’ve
missed you sweetie,”