There are those moments, so spontaneously intriquing, mind-blowingly perfect, when someone steals your heart and breaks it at the same time, without even knowing it.

I’d given up on Valentine’s Day…there’s just sooo much pressure to perform, on both sides, that really, it can take the joy out of the best things, and suck them instead in the nether realm of Just Not Enough, It’s Valentine’s Day Dammit. I, personally, would like to skip that part. So I did. I sent valentine’s to Hunter and his classmates; I got a cutie non-threatening totally adorable one for M, left it in his mailbox. And….my work here was done.

H and I decided to whip up heart shaped mini-meatloaves for dinner (who doesn’t love a cutie shaped meatloaf I ask you!) with some veggies, a little fresh from the oven french bread….when I get the call, while perusing the meat display at the store. Did I get the email Valentine M sent? Why yes, but as it was so emotionally touching, I didn’t know quite how to respond, so I didn’t. He claims he understood; did H and I want to do dinner at his house, with a bottle of red, and maybe a snotty cocktail, build a fire, just hang for a bit? H jumped at the chance (he just adores hanging with M, and really, me too) so I gave in, grabbed some Dutch baking tins, and headed over. Sliced a little cheese, paraded around in my too big for me jeans, red shirt (in honor of the day, my only concession) and skipped the swirling notions of M having flowers, or something for me. Afterall, we’re just going really slowly, with no pressure. I’m good with that.

Mixing meatloaf, being the only portion of prep that I detest, had me hands deep in meatloafy stuff, when M asked me wine or cocktail? Told him I didn’t care; I was tired, a little pms-y, just surprise me. So he did.

He handed me a cut crystal rocks tumbler……with a Bulova, baby diamond studded watch in it. Irridescent dial face, that turns ever so slightly baby pink. He even had it sized, before bringing it home. So now, I’m not only speechless once, but twice. I cried. Nearly dropped the glass, thankfully not, as it was his grandmother’s, and I’ve no doubt she would rise from the grave to kill me!

The watch is so … me…. but it’s solid, and reliable…so like M.

Funny thing is, we spent the entire evening, H included, hanging out and laughing…I went to gather up our stuff and go home, H curled up in Conor’s bed upstairs, and insisted that he was spending the night. Bless his heart. He was “waaaaaayyyy toooooooo tired” to get in the car, and he likes it at M’s, the cat snugged in with him, so we stayed. Told M, as we crawled into bed after watching concerts on tv, sipping a bottle of wine, just chatting and laughing, that this was the best valentine’s day I think I”ve ever had - and no, it had nothing to do with the watch. I had a really great time, hanging out, with two guys, watching concerts, singing along, in front of a fire.

We may not know where we’re going, but well, we’re sure having a good time along the way.