Allie came home from work and sat down on the couch with a sigh. It’d been a long day and she was exhausted. She leaned her head back against the cushion and closed her eyes, intending to rest for just a few minutes before getting ready for dinner.
The next thing she knew, there was a knock on her door. Startled awake, she jumped from the couch and hurried to the door. Peering out the peephole, she saw Eric standing on the doorstep. She wondered briefly why he was there, then she remembered. It was Valentine’s Day and they were going to have dinner together. But why was he early? She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw the time and gasped. She’d napped for longer than she’d intended.
She quickly opened the door and let Eric in. “Sorry,” she said as he stepped inside. “I fell asleep on the couch. I didn’t mean to nap so long.”
“It’s okay,” he said with a smile. “I totally understand. That’s happened to me a few times.”
Allie closed the door and told him, “Why don’t you go into the living room and have a seat. I’ll grab us some drinks and join you.”
“Sounds good,” he replied.
A few moments later, Allie joined Eric in the living room. As she handed him a glass of red wine, she noticed a small bag sitting on the floor next to him. “What’s that bag?” she asked as she sat beside him on the couch.
“Oh, that’s just a little Valentine’s present I got for you,” he said, taking a sip of wine.
She took a sip from her glass of wine. “Oh? What is it?”
“Just a little surprise that I think you’ll like,” he replied with a wink. “Do you want it now, or after dinner?”
“That’s a silly question,” she answered with a chuckle. “You know I hate to wait when it comes to presents.”
He chuckled. “True. You do hate to wait. All right, then, now it is.” He set the glass of wine down on the coffee table and picked up the bag. “I know you’ve wanted one of these for a while now.”
Allie took the bag from him and looked inside. Her eyes widened and she gasped. “Oh, Eric!” Reaching into the bag, she took out a small black kitten with a red ribbon around its neck.
“Do you like him?” he asked.
She gazed at the kitten with a grin on her face. The kitten let out a small mew and purred in her hands. “I love him! He’s adorable!” Then she noticed that the kitten has a small white patch on its chest in the shape of a heart. “Eric, look! He has a big heart on its chest!”
“I know. When I saw him, I knew I had to get him for you. I knew you’d been wanting a black kitten for a while, and he was perfect for a Valentine’s Day gift.”
“Oh, he is, Eric. You’re the best! Thank you!” She paused, having noticed something else. Something small, attached to the red ribbon. “Eric, what’s this?” she asked, removing the ribbon.
“Oh, that’s your other Valentine’s present,” he said, his tone suddenly serious. “Here, let me.” He took the ribbon from her and removed the small thing from it. Then he dropped to one knee on the floor and held the small thing – a ring – out to her. “Allie, will you marry me?”
Allie gasped again, then smiled. “Oh, Eric! Yes!” she answered, and as she kissed him, she thought how lucky she was to have to guys with big hearts now.
This post is part of the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt, “heart”:
Jeanne Owens, author 