Spring 1979

            The spring 1979 semester included Valerie's and Christopher’s first Valentine’s Day as a couple.  Val had never set much store by that day; Brian wasn't exactly Mr. Romance.  He avoided the L word, instead saying he liked her, that she “meant a lot” to him, or that he found their intimate moments special and exciting.  Chris stepped in as her big romance and made it the best Valentine’s ever, marking it by giving her a teddy bear, flowers and chocolates and taking her to dinner.
            Before they left for their meal, she gave him a card on the bottom of which she wrote Happy Valentine's to the one who makes all my dreamy poems and love songs reality.
            As he perused this, his eyes brightened and his face went soft, filled with affection, maybe even amazement.  When he spoke his voice sounded strained with emotion and his jaw tightened slightly.  "This is true?"
            "Of course it is."
            "Lord, girl, I love you so much too."  He enfolded her in his arms. 
            "I can try to move an audience with a song but your opinion matters most," he continued.  "I'll let you in on a secret:  You're the one on my mind when I play a love song."
            "Really?"
            "Absolutely.  Who else, darlin'?"
            "That's so sweet of you to say.  I needed to hear it."  Val was a little choked up, too.
            "That means a lot now that the band's hit something of a slump."  For the moment their only job was their early-Friday-night gig at a club back in Dallas, functioning mostly as a warm-up act for other bands.
            "That won't last long."  At least college jazz band kept him occupied and his skills sharp.
            He drew a card out of his coat pocket and handed it to her.  He'd written on it I never knew what Valentine's Day meant until I fell for you.
            Damn, boy, you are so getting lucky tonight, if you want, Val thought, smiling.
            Spring break was too short a time to rest her brain, and of course to see her boyfriend.  He even played two auditions during that time.
             But the term went by so quickly that a little time apart hardly mattered.  Amazingly, he fulfilled her fantasies in so many ways.  For now he was her perfect mate, everything she could possibly want.
              On Easter they accompanied their families to church.  She knelt next to Chris and recalled that once, troubled that her short relationship with Joel was a terrible mistake, she went to church to take communion and pray for forgiveness. Now she could hold her head up in church, and she could give thanks for his presence in her life.   Some people would say she and Chris did things only married people should do. Yet marriage seemed so unreal and far away; other parts of her life needed to come together first.  Their spiritual connection surely made it right... somehow their union was already blessed and they were meant for each other.