Valentine’s Day had always been one of your favourite days of the year. Since you were a child, you loved how full of love this day was. It had always been special to you.

Another reason why you loved Valentine’s Day was Drew, your boyfriend, had always used Valentine’s Day as an excuse to spoil you even more. He bought you flowers and planned something really special and he made every year more memorable.

But this year was different.

Drew was in New York filming ‘Deep Cuts’.

When you woke up and unlocked your phone, he had already sent you a few messages.

Drew: Happy Valentine’s Day to my beautiful girlfriend.

Drew: I love you so much.

Drew: I’ll call you on FaceTime later, baby!

You tried the whole day not to let it get to you. You cleaned your apartment, went grocery shopping and rearranged things that didn’t need to be rearranged, just to feel productive, just to ignore the quiet.

By the time afternoon turned into evening, exhaustion hit you, so you decided to take a nap before you started cooking something.

You woke up about an hour later, and the air in the apartment felt different — warmer somehow. You also smelled the scent of your favourite food, which was strange because you hadn’t cooked anything.

For a moment, you were afraid that something had started to burn, even though the thought was completely ridiculous because fire doesn’t smell like your favourite food. You had the urge to stand up and check the kitchen.

You walked downstairs. Everything was dark, just as you had left it. But then you noticed something — soft flickering light on the walls of your kitchen.

As you stood in the doorway of your kitchen, your eyes went wide and your heart began to flutter.

There, by the stove, was Drew.

When he noticed you, he turned around with a big smile on his face. “Surprise, baby.”

Those words were enough to make your jaw drop in shock. Was this even real or was it just a dream?

“Sit down at the table, dinner’s almost ready.” His voice cut through your thoughts. You followed his hands as they gestured to the table.

The table was beautifully set, with candles and a few presents placed in the center and a big bouquet of lilies — your favourite flowers.

You started walking forward but came to a stop in front of him. “What are you doing he—“ your words trailed off as another thought entered your mind. “I thought you were in New York.”

“They gave me the weekend off,” he explained, still smiling and wrapping his arms around you. “I couldn’t spend Valentine’s Day without you.”