Everyday Romance

Romance doesn't have to mean sweeping declarations of love and expensive gifts... it can be an unexpected and loving gesture, or a delightful little gift that brings back wonderful memories.

Every month we'll choose one story from our visitors to share with our romance community. Do you have a story of your own to share? Please write to us!

             

Brenda from Toronto writes:

"A few years ago, my husband and I were having a few marriage problems. We had gone through a tough time financially and emotionally with several family and personal issues to work through. We were both worn out and worn down. He took long drives in the country and I slept a lot to escape the stress. I fully expected to get divorced.

One Friday night I got home from work and found the house sparkling clean (it had been a mess since neither of us had the energy to clean it). The dining table was beautifully set with fine linens, candles, and wine glasses, and there was a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket. I was standing there confused when my husband walked in. He hugged me tightly for a few moments, then told me that he still loved me even though we had gone through some hard times. He explained that he wanted to do something special for me and suggested I go freshen up. I did. When I came back down there was a chef in our kitchen, preparing a romantic dinner for two! I was overwhelmed. It was a wonderful night and I think we both smiled, laughed, and felt relaxed for the first time in what felt like years.

My husband had actually been out working a second job - not driving in the country! He saved all of the money and put it away into a special account that was only for us. That special night was only one night, but he had enough left to hire a house cleaner once a week for 6 months and for us to go out for dinner and a movie every week for 6 months. This alone time has been so important for us as a couple. It feels good to have each other back."

             

Jan from Portland writes:

"My boyfriend & I have been dating for 2 years now and have lived together for the last year. For months, we had barely seen each other because he worked during the day and I worked at night. Usually I was leaving for work just as he was coming home. When we saw each other it was only for a few minutes. We felt more like roommates than a couple.

After a few months my supervisor at work finally told me that I had a day shift coming up in a couple of weeks. I was excited until my boyfriend told me (in passing, when I was on my way to work) that we had to talk. He sounded so serious that I started to wonder if he was going to break up with me. Every time I tried to get him to tell me what it was about, he brushed me off.

The day for our talk came. When I got home, it was totally silent. My heart sank. I walked to the back of the house to find my soon-to-be ex-boyfriend napping on the couch. The house was a mess, there weren't any flowers or surprises waiting for me, so my hope that this "talk" was going to be something good were dashed. I was in tears.

Finally I got up the courage to wake him up. When he sat up and saw my tears, he touched me gently and I was sure he going to say it was over. Instead, he asked me what was wrong. I meant to tell him that I knew we had to make some changes and start spending more time together, but I was so distraught that I blubbered something about the messy house instead. He looked startled and then started laughing. I was so insulted. He hugged me then, and said that the reason the house was such a mess was that he was late picking up my surprise - and then he took a small box out from somewhere in the blankets, opened it to show a gorgeous ring, and proposed to me while I was sat there stunned. I was a crying wreck when I finally snapped out of my shock and said yes.

It was the most romantic thing because it was so unexpected. We were married in October and every day we make sure we do something nice for each other."

             

Stacy M. from Chicago writes:

"I love Christmas. Opening presents on Christmas day is fun but it's the dinners and talking and laughing with friends & family that I enjoy the most. It's the planning and preparation that's stressful. And the cleaning is the worst part!

I've always been in charge of the 'planning committee' which meant knowing what everyone liked and disliked and making compromises so everyone would be happy. It gets tiring.

A couple of years ago, my husband surprised me with one of the best gestures ever. He told me he was going to prepare for the celebration and that I was off the hook for everything. It was hard to let go but I loved getting a full night's sleep.

He planned everything which included cleaning the house (he hired a cleaning crew), decorating the rooms (he invited our grown kids to do it), setting up the tree (the grandkids thought it was fun) and preparing the Christmas meal (he made it a family potluck).

So actually, all he did was make a few calls and arrangements, but I greatly appreciated the gift, especially since I've been preparing Christmas get-togethers for almost 40 years! My husband also unintentionally started a new family tradition: now instead of the entire burden being placed on one person's shoulders, we all participate in the preparation of our Christmas celebrations."

             

'The Salty Coffee' - A Cute Love Story from www.mylovestories.com

Reprinted with permission
...

He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but due to being polite, she promised. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, and she thought to herself, "Please, let me go home..."

Suddenly he asked the waiter, "Would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee." Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously, "Why you have this hobby?" He replied, "When I as a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there." While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home... Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, and then they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said, "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life's lie. This was the only lie I said to you---the salty coffee. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything... Now I'm dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth, I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste... But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again."

Her tears made the letter totally wet. Someday, someone asked her, "What's the taste of salty coffee?" She replied, "It's sweet."
...

Love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but understand, not to hear but to listen, not to let go but HOLD ON!

             

Susie from Ontario writes:

"I needed to escape. I felt my mind and soul being weighed down by work pressures and it felt like getting away was the only solution. It was easy to convince my husband to use some of his accumulated holidays and we decided to go to Victoria, BC.

As our plane took off, I could feel my tensions being to fade. Just being high up above the clouds helped me to relax. I didn't realize at the time that our little getaway would turn into a wonderful romantic escape.

My husband isn't a big talker and I didn't know that he was also feeling pressured and stressed out from non- stop demands from work. But as soon as we stepped off the plane, he took my hand and we left the airport hand-in-hand, something we haven't done in a long time.

We had always heard that Victoria is a romantic city and it's so true. The gardens, the forests, the warm temperatures, friendly people, the ocean, great cafes and restaurants, and everything about the place added to the romance and helped us to put our lives into perspective. We hiked under towering trees, under beautiful canopies of maple trees, climbed hills, marvelled at the vastness of the ocean, enjoyed romantic seaside lunches... and the great thing was that most of the time, my husband and I had the trails all to ourselves. It was like Mother Nature had laid out a romantic landscape just for us personally.

Being so small next to the huge ocean and big trees made me realize how small my problems really are, and how much we really enjoy being together. Since then, we take little road trips or romantic escapes twice a month. It helps us put our work problems into perspective and remember why we love each other. "

             

Jim T. from Toronto, Ontario writes:

"My wife and I have been together a long time. When we were young, it was the man's job to romance the woman, and I dutifully did my duty. It paid off as I married the woman of my dreams, who is still my wife today. I still get my wife little gifts now and then to show her I love her.

Our grown daughter is always going on about how crazy it was to expect men to do all the romancing, and to expect women to do all the waiting. Apparently kids these days, of either sex, figure that if they are interested in someone then they will go and get them.

I didn't realize how closely my wife had been listening to our daughter. Ten days before my birthday, I got a little gift from my wife. It was completely unexpected and was a nice treat. Then the gifts continued, every day, right up until my birthday. She put a lot of thought into each gift. It was none of the typical gifts you might expect to get, but all had something to do with BBQ, food, or sailing, my favourite 3 things (next to my family). It was nice to be surprised. My wife had a giggle about how we're now a 'modern' couple that romances each other. "

             

Wendy W. from Toronto, Ontario writes:

"I just finished my third year in law school and was exhausted from the never-ending course load. My husband has been more than understanding, working full-time and taking care of all of the housework and family obligations. Our 'alone time' had vanished since we were both wiped out at the end of the day. Some days we only saw each other for a few rushed minutes.

Near the end of the semester, I was behind on my term project and felt overburdened. My teammates weren't doing their share of the work so I had to sacrifice family time and sleep to still get a good grade. Many days I thought I'd lose my mind from the stress of trying to do well in school and knowing that my husband wasn't getting enough time from me.

One day, as I was going through my course books, a note fell out of the pages. It was a note from my husband, supporting my decision to go to school and encouraging me, saying that he loved me. When I got home I hugged and kissed him, and we spent a few minutes making plans for a romantic getaway at the end of the term. Every day until school ended for the year, my husband would hide another little love note somewhere in my course materials. I don't know how he figured out what I'd be reading that day, but I always found a note waiting for me. I always knew my husband loves me, but this really made me FEEL loved, and reminded me that I wasn't just an overworked student. "

             

Lynn from Grand Falls, MT writes:

"My husband & I moved to a small town many years ago to raise our family. It's a safe place that seems to have been forgotten by the outside world. Nothing ever happens here, which is a good and bad thing I suppose.

One day I received in the mail a postcard of Miami Beach. On the back, it read "Thinking of you here". Nothing else. Without further thought, I tossed it in the recycling bin.

The following week another anonymous postcard arrived. A photo of Cape Canaveral again with writing that said, "Thinking of you here, too." Again, it ended up in the garbage.

Over the next few weeks, more postcards arrived, showing exotic Florida locations. I was angered because I thought it was pretty manipulative advertising, but at the same time I couldn't help but read each postcard and picture myself there.

And then a special delivery arrived. As I signed for it, the post lady handed me a thick envelope sent from my husband. Confused, I opened it to find brochures and plane tickets to Florida! I've always wanted to take a big trip but my husband and I just never seemed to get away. I guess he wasn't ignoring me all these years, just preparing to surprise me! "

             

Jane W. from Ontario writes:

"When I was a kid, my parents bought a cabin in northern Ontario on a lake and I fell in love with the remoteness & seclusion. Listening to the birdsongs as a morning sunrise lit up the lake was paradise to me.

I met my first love one summer at the lake when I was 21 years old. Ross was learning to sail with his parents and he waved to me as he passed our dock. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him staring at me until the boat sailed around the bend and out of sight.

I watched for weeks as his father taught him to maneuver the boat around the lake. We would wave to one another as they sailed past and I would continue to watch him out of the corner of my eye.

One afternoon, as his sailboat was zipping along the water, it changed direction and turned straight towards our place. Instead of waving to me, I heard him yell, "Hello there landlubber" and I watched as he landed the boat at our dock.

Four years later, we ended up getting married on that same dock and every summer since, we spend our time sailing and creating memories out on 'our' perfect lake."

             

Cathy B. from Hide A Heart writes:

"When I was first married, my idea of a 'love note' pretty much filled three to four notebook pages and included love poems, little 'lipstick' kisses on each page, pressed flowers, a candy kiss marking the beginning of the newest entry...you know, all the things 'girls' are thrilled about and guys, well at least my guy, seemed to be hard pressed to duplicate.

I thought I was giving him what he would like and not so subtly modeling what I wanted in return. What I received was VERY different. Who knew leaving a 'love note' would prove to be so tricky?

His 'love note' pretty much consisted of one to two sentences and did NOT include a 'lip stick' kiss... I knew it wouldn't... but I thought he might go through a kitchen cabinet and find the bag of candy kisses and leave one for me somewhere, like maybe on my pillow if he wanted to do something a little different from the way I was leaving the candy kiss.

I also thought he might write a love poem once in a while, but what I didn't appreciate was that I had him at a disadvantage when it came to poetry writing.

You see, I was a professional songwriter and poetry came rather easily to me and not so easily to him. I am also a performing artist and painter and decorator and gourmet cook.

I married a salesman who was a near-full time athlete, and thought air plane food, when air plane companies served food, actually tasted good because all he was looking for was something to "fill the tank" and it didn't much matter if the choice was between SPAM or Chicken Cordon Bleu... it was all the same thing to him.

Even today I tease him because he actually prefers 7-11 coffee, which I refer to as 'swill', so you can imagine the GAPING divide I am describing when it came to 'love notes'!

After about a year and several disappointing 'love note' postings by my husband, I abandoned the entire 'love note' idea and instead wrote and recorded 'love songs' for him, continued to create some fantastic gourmet meals just because I love good food and enjoy the process of cooking and serving a beautiful meal to friends.

Of course I can't make Jell-O but I'm pretty good at making grilled cheese sandwiches. My husband does notice there is a wide gap between 'gourmet meals' for friends and 'soup and sandwich' for us, but you know he trained me to forget the fancy and go directly to the basics when it came to serving him food, but we have never skipped letting one another know how much we love each other.

In fact, he's the one that discovered the way to leave a perfect 'love note'. He bought a little glass heart and hid it for me to discover... no words could ever say more."

             

Samantha G. from Ontario writes:

"My husband isn't the most romantic guy in the world but I know he tries. This year for Valentine's Day, he surprised me with an early present.

With all the lay-offs in our office, those of us who are left end up working longer hours than we should. I feel guilty for always having to work late since I know my husband misses the time we have together. I do my best to get home at a reasonable hour but one night we ran really late at the office, and I felt awful for coming home so late.

When I came in, the apartment was quiet and dark. I didn't know if my husband had gone out or gone to bed, or if he was upset. I tiptoed in and when I got around the corner, I saw my dear hubby waiting for me in the dining room, which was aglow in candlelight. There was a big beautiful bouquet of lilies (my favourite flower), and he had kept dinner (take-out from my favourite restaurant) warm in the oven. A small wrapped present sat next to my dinner plate.

It was all so perfect. My husband greeted me with a warm hug and a kiss and I was near tears. After a long day at work, I was worried he would be upset but instead he created a special evening just for us. I am so lucky to have such an understanding husband.

             

Jerry G. from Oregon writes:

"This recession has made my relationship with my wife a real challenge. Both of us bring home less pay but work longer hours. It seems like we only see each other in passing and we're always too tired to do anything together. We have tried many times to schedule a special evening together and it always fails since one or the other of us ends up calling at the last minute to cancel, due to work. Eventually we gave up trying to do anything as a couple. We both hated it but what could we do? We have to work to put food on the table.

Finally we both had nearly a week off during the holidays. I decided to surprise my wife with a romantic night out on the town and to make a bold proposal. After an evening of dinner & fireworks, I asked if she was willing to commit every evening just to us.

I didn't have to convince her of how ridiculous our jobs and our lives had become. We both agreed to try to be home every night by 6:00pm, and if absolutely necessary we would work late - but still be home by 8:00pm. Once we're both home, we just hang out together: we take turns cooking, watch our favorite TV shows or movies, and have even started taking an evening class together. No discussion of anything related to work!

It's been one week now and we've already had more fun in 2010 than we did all of last year. So far, so good!"

             

Paul P. from Ontario writes:

"I'm a romantic and my wife loves it. She loves being surprised, and she loves the spontaneity and the attention that I shower on her. She's an adventuress at heart so she's always eager to see where these surprises take us.

We've done the champagne in the hot-air balloon and the picnic in the park but I've never done the classic romantic evening. You know, the limo, the dinner, the elegant hotel. So last month I decided to put the 'cheese' back in with these cheesy manoeuvres to see how it would go over.

The day started out with a romantic message left on her make-up window. I told her to wear something nice to work because Friday was going to be a special day.

At 10:00 AM, a bouquet of flowers arrived at her desk with a note saying that she looked beautiful and to meet me downstairs after work. When the time arrived, the limousine pulled up with me inside. We sipped champagne as we inched through rush-hour traffic. The hectic world buzzed around us as we sat in comfort inside our little private bubble.

Soon we were let out at a romantic downtown restaurant. The setting was perfect for couples and intimate conversation. Great food, great wine, great views of the twinkling city lights, and great company. After dinner, we strolled the downtown sidewalks where I surprised her again by whisking her into a posh hotel for a romantic night together.

I have to admit, I didn't think things through as much as I should have. We left the hotel the next morning wearing the same nice evening clothes from the previous night. We grabbed a cab home and then smothered our laughter as we tried to sneak back into the house and avoid the curious stares of the neighbours. Great fun!"

             

Jenny B. from Vancouver, BC writes:

"I met my husband in the middle of a 10k race in 2004. I was new to the sport and on the day of the race, it was cold outside and I had trouble warming up properly. When the race pistol fired and I started running, I knew right away that my stride wasn't right but I didn't want to turn back.

Not long afterwards, my leg began to cramp. Stretching didn't help and a short distance later I felt crippled. My leg muscle seized into a tight, agonizing ball and I had to sit down. Just flexing my foot made pain shoot through my leg.

Other runners muttered encouragement as they sprinted past but no one stopped to help, until finally one man, a chubby fellow wearing a sweat-stained shirt, stopped. He told me he had cramped up in a race last year and was taught how to ease the pain. He offered to massage the muscle or teach me how to do it. Normally I wouldn't be comfortable with a stranger touching me, but under the circumstances I asked if he'd help me (while I gritted my teeth and tried to stay tough).

This stranger had a soothing touch and a calm and funny personality that helped to distract me from the pain in my leg. As the muscle finally loosened, I went from excruciating pain to embarassment, but his jokes helped to drive away the embarassment. We finished the race together with one of the slowest times.

Today, we are married. Dan has given up running races but I've gone on to challenge my fastest times. Knowing that he's waiting at the finish line always motivates me to never quit a race and to finish strong."

             

Chuck M. from Denver writes:

"My wife is a loving and caring woman. She's the type of person who brings homemade soup & bread to sick friends. She has always put a lot of thought into meals and into our dates to try to make all of them memorable. I, on the other hand, am uncomfortable with public displays of affection and would rather just have a quiet evening at home. Our friends have commented how different we are. Sometimes I wonder how my wife and I ever connected in the first place.

One day I gave in and decided to give this whole 'romantic gesture' thing a shot. I went out and rented a convertible and parked at the mall, where I knew my wife would be coming out after shopping. When I spotted her I honked the horn to get her attention, cruised up to her, and invited her to hop in. She gamely jumped in, excited about the adventure.

We drove around all afternoon. We took turns cruising past local landmarks and visiting places we hadn't been to in years. At dinner time, we spontaneously pulled up to the closest restaurant we could find. It turned out to be one of those "greasy-spoon" roadside diners, and dinner was fun. My wife was like a teenager again. I haven't seen her so flirty and happy in years. We ordered ice cream to go from a waitress who couldn't stop smiling at us.

I'm not converted into a romantic, but I didn't realize how happy these small gestures make my wife. I have been trying hard to do more things like this."

             

This "Mid-Week Romance" story comes
from Darlene G.:

"My husband and I used to be so romantic with each other. Over time we found ourselves spending our time doing housework and working overtime. It felt like we were drifting apart but we didn't know what to do - we have bills to pay, and we just have to get everything done.

Finally, enough was enough. Last month I found myself in tears, remembering how much we used to love being together. So it was time to try something different. This may sound dull and strange to some people, but we began to work romance into our everyday chores. It was my husband's idea and at first I just obliged him. Now I love it. We don't do anything spectacular, but we grocery shop together, cook dinner as a team, and work together in the yard. Complaining about work and chores are taboo. We talk more, we laugh more, we talk about our plans for the future. Instead of just waiting for the weekend to have some 'alone time', we have doubled the amount of 'fun time' together.

I know it doesn't seem like much but it has really helped our marriage. We feel much like we did as giddy twenty- somethings in love who could talk all night, only with a deeper, more mature understanding of each other."

             

This "Middle-Aged Hooky" story comes
from Dan B.:

"Things kept getting tougher at work for both me and my wife. The long hours and stressful days left us with no time (or energy) to do anything together, other than collapse in front of the TV every night after work.

Last month we decided enough was enough and we were going to go away for the weekend. We picked a place in the next town. It's not the most luxurious place but it fits our budget and gives us a chance to be together without work getting in the way.

The good news was that the hotel was having a "3rd night free" special. The bad news was that we were supposed to be back at the office. The thought of wasting that free night was almost more than we could bear - especially since we've both been spending an average of 60 or more hours at work every week!

While we were talking, my wife jokingly said, "Too bad we can't just skip work like we used to skip class." And we both looked at each other. Why not? We have worked tons of unpaid overtime, uncomplainingly (OK, a little complaining), in order to keep our jobs in this economy (we are supposed to get time in lieu, but no one can ever find the time to go away!) The result was that my wife and I hardly ever saw each other.

So early that Thursday morning, we left messages for our bosses. I said that I wouldn't be able to make it into work since I was having problems seeing (seeing myself at work, that is). My wife made a call to her boss too. And off we went on our extended weekend vacation.

We had a great time. We both felt like school kids doing something naughty and secretive. The next day, we called our bosses again and said we still weren't feeling well. And as soon as we hung up, we went right back to bed where we spent the rest of the weekend.

Incidentally, it was hell at the office when we got back. Thank goodness for our weekend away, it was totally worth it!"

             

This "Romantic Notes" story comes
from Christine C.:

"I work as a restaurant server. Over the last year, a customer named Hank has been coming in regularly. He's quiet and attractive and a good tipper. He occasionally comes alone but mostly eats with his friends. After a few rounds of drinks, they joke around with me but Hank always makes sure they never cross the line.

When it comes time to pay the bill, Hank always writes something on the back. At first he wrote simple stuff like, "Thanks" or "Great meal". Occasionally he throws in a compliment like, "I like your new haircut." These ones usually catch me off guard and I wonder why he doesn't just say it to me instead of writing them on the bill. But it always makes me smile.

A few months ago, he and his friends came by as usual. Things went along as they usually do, but when it came time to pay the bill, he wrote, "Dinner was great! How about dessert?". Clueless, I grabbed a menu.

I returned to the table and he was the only one left sitting at his table. I started to hand him the dessert menu but he smiled and stopped me - then asked if I'd be interested in joining him for dessert after my shift! We've been dating now for nearly 4 months and it's been great."

             

Natasha R. from Victoria, BC sent us this story:

" My husband has always been much more of a morning person than I have. He's wide awake and cheerful at the crack of dawn, while I wake up slowly and sleepily.

One morning my husband gently woke me and led me outside onto our deck. Before I knew it (I was still very sleepy), he had wrapped me in a big warm blanket (warmed in the dryer!), put a steaming mug of coffee in my hands, and then wrapped his arms around me. As I began to wake up, the most spectacular sunrise unfolded in front of me. We live high on a hill with great ocean views and all of these years I had never seen the sunrise, at least not like this one! I will never forget that morning: wrapped in my husband's arms with a blazing orange sunrise highlighting both the sky and the water. Now I make it a point to get up early every Saturday morning so that we can watch the sunrise together."

             

This "I Started Dating My Wife Again" story comes from Trevor S.:

" A few months ago, I had to move the family. My job had become redundant and the company offered me a new job in another city. With the job market so poor, I had no choice but to accept the offer.

My wife and I put on brave faces to help the kids adjust to our new home, but I knew it bothered her. I wanted to reassure her that we made the right move, but it was tough because I wasn't sure of it myself. I wanted to change the tense atmosphere in our new home, so I figured I'd try to romance my wife like I used to back when we were first dating.

I placed notes in her books and on her chair. Sometimes they just said "I love you", sometimes I offered her a massage later that night. Once I prepared a late 'picnic' for us after the kids were asleep. She thought it was corny at first, but then I started receiving notes too. It became our private game.

We explored the parks in our new city, walking hand-in-hand (with kids on bikes), feeling like we were allies facing new challenges. And we talked. We talked about why leaving 'home' was so hard, and the new opportunities for us here. Most importantly, we finally felt relaxed enough to start smiling and laughing again, something we hadn't done since rumors of layoffs had started nearly a year ago. It was good to feel connected again, feel like we were partners despite the stress of starting a new life in a different city. Now, when I think about the move, I feel lucky -- we had let the romance fade away when we were in our old home, and now we have it back again."

             

This '14 Days of Romance' story comes from Leslie M.:

" My husband was the worst romantic gift-giver ever. His unoriginal, and usually late, gifts included flowers, bad chocolate and hideous clothing. I knew he meant well, but his execution was terrible. And then he surprised me last year for Valentine’s Day.

February 1 - On the first day of the month, a beautiful flower awaited me after a long day at work. It was an unexpected gift and looked out of place on the barren table. Even before I could ask “Why”, my husband said that I had popped into his mind as he crossed the local flower shop. His simple and small gesture made my day.

February 2 - I was again greeted with a surprisingly thoughtful gift. This time, sitting on the table was a pair of comfortable, new slippers. I’m not one to wear fuzzy footwear, but it turned out that they were really comfortable on our wood floors. My husband said that he thought I might be more comfortable around the house.

February 3 - On the drive home, I was anxious to see if another gift was waiting for me. My husband had surprised me for the past two days, and I wasn’t sure if my good luck was about run out. On the kitchen table were three little pastries from the local bakery. Perfect sweet treats to go along with his sweet

February 4-13 - Every day, the small gifts kept appearing. I received 4 chocolate roses, 5 balloons that said “I love you”, and lots more. On the 12th day he even brought me 12 chocolate-dipped strawberries! What a treat. I couldn’t imagine what Valentine’s Day would bring.

February 14 – My whole day was shot because my imagination ran wild. I was excited and nervous as I pulled up the driveway. I hadn’t felt this giddy in years! When I got home, the table held a piece of paper. Just a single, clean loose leaf sheet and on it was hand-written the words, “I love you” in 14 different languages.

I later found out that his sister had given him the '14 days of romance' idea (which would explain how a man who used to give wilted flowers as a belated anniversary gift could make such a remarkable turnaround). Even so, he made all the effort and chose all the gifts. It was perfect."

             

Cynthia from Florida writes:

" I'm one of those people who doesn't like surprises. My husband always kids me about being a control freak. Despite this we have a very happy marriage and have countless wonderful memories.

This holiday season, my husband, knowing my dislike of surprises, warned me that he was going to give me a surprise! He knows me very well and since he warned me, I was excited to see what he had in store for me. On Christmas Eve, he packed me into the car and we drove out to a beautiful cabin in the woods, much like the one my family used to gather at when we were children. It was beautiful, with Christmas lights strung along the house, and a deep feeling of peace. We had a lovely dinner prepared by my husband (who is a superb cook). It was so romantic, I was in heaven.

In the morning I had packed our bags again for the drive home. I wanted to get home early to start preparing Christmas dinner.

Imagine my consternation when he said we would be staying there! Beautiful as it was, I am a homebody and I can't imagine Christmas without our children and grandchildren. I love the bustle of Christmas and yes, I even love the noisy house!

I didn't want to hurt my husband's feelings and I tried as diplomatically as I could to let him know that I would rather be at home. He only smiled and said I deserved a break from cooking and cleaning and that he would take care of Christmas preparations. We could see everyone again the next day.

I was touched that he wanted to pamper me, but my heart was breaking to be away from family. I knew my husband was doing it for me and I didn't want to be ungrateful, so I hid my sadness and did my best to get into the festive spirit.

I shouldn't have doubted my husband. He knows me too well! At the dot of noon, the doorbell rang - and on the porch EVERYONE was standing there with big smiles and hugs, pots of food, and bags full of gifts! We all gathered together in this wonderful cabin, drank eggnog, talked and laughed, ate, ate, and ate, and of course exchanged gifts. It was the BEST Christmas I could have imagined. "

             

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Romantic Stories: page 1 | 2