I remember my first Valentine's Day with Kevin. We had only been dating since the previous December and had made it successfully through that first awkward what-do-we-get-each-other holiday. [I gave him a cross necklace and copy of my senior picture, he gave me Halston cologne.] I had been watching for his car to pull up in front of Solano Hall and ran out the west doors of the building to sneak around and surprise him as he walked up the sidewalk. As I peaked around the corner of the old brick music building I noticed he proudly carried a red rose, obviously on a mission to surprise me. So I bolted back around and tried to beat him upstairs undetected. My heart had grown accustomed to the rapid pulsing whenever I came within a block of this guy so I knew it wasn't the double trip up and down the stairs that had set it in motion. I made it to the practice room but only after he had placed the rose on the piano and began his own routine rehearsal in the room next door leaving behind the amazing scent of his presence ;) The card, that I still have, read "Love is eternal. Love, Kevin" He always loved that book about Lincoln and that quote has accompanied many cards and flowers ever since. I have such wonderful memories of those times in our young love. Of the phone call he made moments after he had dropped me off at home asking that I meet him at Solano, he had "something" to tell me. I remember the room, where we were sitting, the Christmas tree in the corner, how nervous he sounded. And I remember our first kiss on the curb in front of the building as we were leaving. I wasn't as surprised as I was relieved. I had already told my mother I would marry this one. That was twenty five years ago...

Two weeks ago he asked me for a date tonight. Last week he informed me we had reservations for dinner. I was so stunned I told him we didn't even have to go. Knowing he had thought ahead and followed through was more than I needed. This love we have is something we settled into long ago. Not that we don't have our moments like every couple, but I love this man. He is my best friend and my safety net. I'd like to believe that this love is eternal, that it will always be a part of us long after we leave this place but I don't know how that all really plays out in the end. I do know, that while I'm here, and while we have each other, our love is as eternal as it gets. He's mine and I always knew he would be. And tonight, we're going on a date.