14 Romantic Things My Husband Did on Valentine’s Day

1. He forgot to make reservations at the restaurant I wanted to go to, but then found another restaurant I hadn’t even asked about since it was on the other side of the island. 
   
2. Peter offered, “I’ll bring us some lunch and then we can go spend the afternoon in Fredriksted.” I said I wasn’t hungry. Knowing what I really wanted to do, he made a sandwich, and we left to find the abandoned puppy we’d been trying to catch for nearly two weeks now. He knew I worried about the mange that spread throughout her body and knew I wanted to bring her to the St. Croix Animal Welfare Center. “We won’t have a lot of time because the historic buildings will be closing soon,” I nodded, OK. We spent over an hour trying to get her. When she finally had had enough hot dogs and enough of the crate, we packed it up. As we pulled away, he said “We can try again tomorrow.” That was all I needed to hear.  
   
3. He took me to a historic sight. When the manager asked why he didn’t want to show me something nice on St. Croix, his response was, “This is nice.” As we left and bid the manager good bye, she reminded him again, “Now, take her somewhere nice.” He promised he would. Putting his arm around me he asked, “Did you like it?” I said. “I did.”
4. I caught him looking at a woman in a mirror.
   
   Instead of it being some unsuspecting passerby, the woman turned out to be me. 
5. He rushed me while I was shopping for a t-shirt for our son. I was a little annoyed until he reminded me that there was a clothing store I was interested in seeing, but it was closed when we were here last. (It was closed when we finished with the dive shop, too. But he tried.)
6. He kept interrupting me, returning our conversation to my writing whenever I tried to change the subject.
7. He turned the car around so that I could get a better picture.
8. He commented on my make-up, saying you look great, but you don’t need any of that to look beautiful. 
   
9. He offered to let me drink the cocktail he ordered if I didn’t like mine.
10. He didn’t do one thing as he drove that caused me to gasp or pump the brakes that I pretend are on my side of the car.
11. He asked directions instead of going up and down the block a million times like we usually do.
12. He brought up a mistake he’d made and apologized for it, unprovoked.
13. He read the blog I wrote for him. He insisted I publish it even though it didn’t really paint him, me or us in the best light. http://ceciliadiniodurkin.blogspot.com/2018/02/with-or-without-him.html “Regardless, it’s so beautifully written, it needs to be read.”  He said.
    
14. When I first got to the Island, I started to unpack but stopped myself. This is his gig. I didn’t want to infringe. “No, please.” He said. I didn’t want to use his new hairbrush for fear I’d find another women’s hair coiled in it. I didn’t want to open drawers, in case I’d find evidence of another woman in his life. On Valentine's Day, when I began to pack since I would return to NY in a few days, I asked if I could leave a few things. “Sure, “ he said. What he didn't say was, “Does that mean you like it here? Does that mean you'll come back?" He looked at me and said one of the most romantic things he's ever said, "I was hoping you'd at least leave your tooth brush.” So, I did.