Valentine’s Day was a non-starter this year, at least for me. I’m not actually a big fan of the V-Day. I’m all for love, and occasionally up for a little romance, but I don’t need a dozen overpriced roses and a steak dinner on February 14th to feel a connection to someone.

That being said…

My someone is my husband, John. We have been married forever. Thirty years, in fact, and it was one of the better decisions I have made in my life. He is a truly wonderful man, and I love him with all my heart.

That being said…

V-Day fell on a Tuesday, and my expectations were low-to-nil. In fact, I made some sort of proclamation on air that I wanted nothing, that V-Day was for the newly in love, and that I wanted nothing to do with it.

That being said…

I did say I wouldn’t mind some small floral acknowledgement by the end of the day.

John knows the deal. He knows I don’t entirely mean it when I say that V-Day is a crass, commercial enterprise designed to strip innocent young lovers of their hard-won cash. He knows it’s mostly bluster. He knows I secretly want a bunch of flowers.

Tuesday, however, happens to be his hockey night. Never mind that it was V-Day. He was going to go and play a Valentine’s Day game of hockey with his pals, and maybe score me a Valentine’s goal. Unfortunately, Tuesday was also the day of the big fire at the Badminton and Racquet club, and traffic was a nightmare, so he was running late, and so he did not have time to stop off on the way home to get me the flowers I so vehemently said I did not want, but secretly did.

So he came home empty handed, which was, well, okay. And I made him a quick dinner so he could get to the game, because I’m awesome that way. And then he said – wait for it, he said…

“Well, it’s not like you ever get me anything for Valentine’s Day.”

I know.

And it’s true, I don’t. Because, fair or not, the onus is on the man to pay tribute to the woman. It’s just the way things have evolved, like the fact that we don’t have tails anymore. But still. So he went off to his hockey game, and I stayed home and drank red wine and ate dark chocolate and watched the season opener of “Girls”.

It was the best Valentine’s Day ever.

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