Valentine's Day

"I feel blue," Gina said sorrowfully.  She fought to hold back her tears while talking on the phone to her best friend, Desiree.

"Today is meant for love, not heartbreak," Gina said, now engulfed in a flood of tears.

"I can sympathize with you, Gina.  My boyfriend broke up with me the day before Valentine's Day one year ago.  I cannot help  but feel sad sometimes for my loss, especially today.  I am so sorry for you to lose your boyfriend especially today being Valentine's Day.  You two were the perfect couple and he truly seemed to be the one.  I cannot imagine what went wrong for him to leave you on this particular day.

"Hey, a few friends of mine from work and I are going to Jack's Pub tonight.  Do you want to come along?" asked Desiree.

"Oh gosh, Des.  I think I just want to stay home."

Gina generally got her way when making decisions, so Desiree did not argue her want.

"Okay.  I understand.  If you change your mind, though, I'll be at Jack's Pub."

"Okay," Gina said in sniffles.

Come on, Gina, you were too good for him, she thought to herself as she wiped away tears and threw away another Kleenex tissue.

Okay, I'll go to Jack's Pub, she thought to herself in firm affirmation.

She skimmed through her closet and found the dress she wore on her first date with him - a black background with flower-pattern T-shirt dress with black slip-on shoes.  They were friends before he formally asked her out and he always said, "you look adorable," in every outfit she wore.  On their first official date, then, she wanted to look adorable.  "You look adorable" always made her feel special and happy.  She considered wearing the outfit tonight if only because she did like the dress.  If she added her favorite black wash jean jacket, wearing the outfit would not seem so sad.  Okay.  She was set and ready to go.

As she opened her apartment door to head out, she looked down to find a trail of red rose petals.  She looked up to find no one.  She was confused and a bit scared.

She carefully walked to the apartment building's elevator down to the first floor from her fifth.  As she approached her car in the parking lot, she heard "The Way You Look Tonight" a short distance away.  "The Way You Look Tonight" was their song.  The time was early in the evening and the sky was not fully black yet, so she did not want to be spooked in darkness.

"You look adorable," spoken just behind her.

She turned around to find him down on one knee with an open engagement ring box.

What?

"Surprise!" shouted Desiree from across the parking lot.

What?

"Gina, I did not mean to break up with you.  When I walked away from you this morning, I realized that no other woman was as perfect for me as you are.  We are meant for each other.  You are my soulmate.  You are my best, best friend.  I love you so much.  Will you marry me?"

"Jim, I don't understand.  You broke my heart this morning and now you are proposing?  And why is Desiree here, shouting surprise?"

"He knows we are sisters at heart and so he asked for my approval."

"You knew about this all day and you didn't say a word, Desiree?""

"You know me, Gina.  I can keep a secret pretty darn well."

Gina hesitated to say anything to either of them.

In pure irony, the outfit she was wearing - on their first date so many years ago and now, being proposed to.  Was this outfit a sign of positive luck?

She slowly extended her left hand and, with happy tears, said,

"Yes."