My assistant, Helen, dared me to post these sappy essays, so here they are:
LOST
It was a rainy night, yet people packed the fair. As the crowd surged forward, the couple's eyes met.
"Go for the lion," the beautiful stranger cajoled, pointing to a large plush animal.
The shot missed.
"Try again!" The hawker exclaimed. "This time … hit the target. Your beautiful young lady friend is waiting."
After promising he would return to religion, he made his final attempt.
Bells sounded as the news was announced, "We have a winner!"
With machismo intact, he turned to share the spoils of the hunt. But, she was gone. Lost in the sea of endless bodies.
* * *
SIMPLE
"I love you … I think," was her response. But after three years of courtship, he had hoped for a more affirmative response. His company was relocating to the Orient. He wanted her to go.
"My family is here. I just can't get up and leave. It's not that simple," she continued.
"So," he questioned, "I mean nothing to you?"
"It's not that simple," she repeated.
A chill ran through his veins as the flight's final call was announced. He boarded the airplane, sensing that they would never speak again.
It was that simple.
* * *
May your days ...
be filled with love.
Happy Valentine's Day!