My bitter sweet Valentine

My bitter sweet Valentine

We all know that Valentine’s Day is the time wherein couples celebrate their love for one another. It is a day filled with happy memories, romantic songs fly through our ears, chocolates and roses fill our hands and love occupies our hearts. Nothing is sweeter than celebrating Valentine’s Day with the love of your life while you hold hands and stroll the evening park as stars are the only spectators of your everlasting love for each other but every chocolate coated candy has its bitter filling inside. Nothing lasts for a life time but every memory lingers in your heart and soul, that makes true love unique and incomparable. What if the happiest moment of your life turned into one your worst nightmare?

It was the start of a new year for Caleb. 2010 was very generous to him as he got promoted as supervisor; he won a car during an event in a mall and bought a new pent house at the heart of the city. Truly it was a very fruitful year and 2011 is no different than that for he already planned out the things he had to accomplish. He was a single man that is addicted to success and never really cared about settling down with a family of his own. One day as he was walking across a street he bumped into a lady wearing a red scarf. It was that very moment when he realized how empty his heart was because as the lady glanced into his eyes as it was like saying something so passionate to him that he felt a tingling feeling in his chest and that made him stop in the middle of the street. The lady then ran across the street as if she was going something important.

Everyday and every night he kept on dreaming about those hazel brown eyes that made him realize that success is nothing if you cannot share it with one you love. So he went searching for the lady wearing the red scarf. He looked everywhere, in every alley in every street in every house he could see but no luck so he decided to take a break in a small coffee shop that says “Amère Douce”. He went inside and ordered black coffee and the moment he looked at the waitress he was instantly shocked and at the same time relieved for he now found the girl in the red scarf. He then went to that coffee shop everyday for the past couple of days. He got to know her and soon became friends. They hang out a lot and at the month of February they soon started dating. Caleb was in cloud nine because his career was on top and his love life is on the peak, there was nothing more he could ask for.

A week before Valentine’s Day he prepared a gorgeous ring, it was not an engagement ring but a promise ring that he will never leave Leila. It was his first time proposing to a girl and was very nervous about it so he always carries the ring with him in his left pocket. He wanted to propose on Valentine’s Day and he already planned a romantic dinner for the two of them. Days passed and the moment of truth had arrived, he asked Leila to wear the red scarf he saw during their first encounter in the streets. During the dessert course of the meal, while eating red velvet cake, Leila was startled to find a gorgeous white gold ring inside the cake covered with icing. She started to cry and the moment Caleb proposed to her she hugged him and kissed him passionately. It was the start of a new beginning for the both of them.

Unforgettable and happy months passed, the two of them were inseparable. They were both floating in the ocean of love. They never knew that life can be so perfect. During Christmas day, Leila wanted to tell Caleb something really important. So she asked him to meet at the coffee shop. As Caleb anxiously walked inside, he saw Leila holding a small box with a big smile on her face. Caleb said “What is this, honey? It is not our monthsary or did I get promoted? What is this for?” Leila then spoke “Gifts should not only be given if there is an occasion. I just want you to have this. It is something you will never forget. Hope you like it, daddy” As the word daddy entered Caleb’s ear his eyes started to fill up with tears and as he opened the box, it was a pair of yellow baby booties. He instantly hugged and kissed Leila. They celebrated that night with Cake and Tea. It was surely a night they won’t forget.

February approached the couple in hurry. It was Valentine’s Day and the two were happily preparing for the decorations in the coffee shop. Leila was about to pick up the flowers in the flower shop when Caleb arrived with a box of chocolates. He gave it to Leila and kissed her sweetly. She then took a bite on one of the assorted chocolates and said “Amère Douce”. Caleb forgot to ask Leila about what it means. She whispered to his ear “Bitter sweet” and pecked his cheeks and happily went outside to get the flowers. As she glanced at Caleb with those sweet Hazel brown eyes he felt sad and wanted her to stay. He felt a sharp pain in his chest that made him worry. He then continued decorating the coffee shop when, suddenly he heard a crash outside in the streets. He remembers hearing someone scream and people loudly sighing to the incident.

He rushed outside and to his fear, it was Leila! He ran as fast as he can towards the accident but police stopped him. He cried and shouted at the top of his lungs. He wanted her to be safe. He wanted THEM to be safe. As she was wheeled into the hospital he kept on praying and hoping that her two sweet angels would be fine but as the doctor went outside and told the good and bad news. He really did not know what to feel nor to say. Leila was now in stable condition but the baby did not survive.

That night as Caleb kissed Leila as she was sleeping; he went to “Amère Douce” and planted a small flower at the side of the shop. He placed the small booties that Leila gave to him and prayed for her little angel’s journey to heaven. Every February 14, the couple would always visit and pray in front of the flower reminding both of them about their precious little angel. They both wish that someday when God would grant them with another child, they would have the same baby, the baby that made their Valentine’s Day, bitter sweet.

The End