A Picture of Love

The sun broke through the clouds and painted its warmth on my cheeks. The street was abuzz with couples and families, out and about for the holiday. It was a scene of people walking hand in hand across the pavement, peaking into the shops, restaurants and boutiques that lined the street, all adorned with hearts, ribbons, and even a violinist outside of a bistro. The musician cradled the instrument lovingly on her shoulder as she carried the bow across the strings. She was adorable in her black and white striped shirt and black pants. I dropped a few bills into her case as we passed by her, and she gave a small curtsy, not missing a single note as she did so.

It was Valentine’s Day, and like every year, Calvin and I made a trip out to the candy shop, Sweet Treat. It was a tradition of ours that we stayed faithful to. I made it a point to dress for the occasion, and Calvin followed my lead. I had made for myself a short sleeved magenta dress that went to my ankles, and I wore my hair down under a white brimmed hat. Calvin had dressed himself in black slacks, a white button up, and a black vest he loved wearing. 

Sweet Treat was candy shop that served milk shakes of all flavors and people around town would stop by to share one together and sit in the window. People always looked like a scene from a classic movie as they sat across from one another and drank from one of the two straws in their milkshake. 

I smiled, thinking of all the charming moments we witnessed when we entered the shop and squeezed my hand around Calvin’s. His skin was soft and anchored me to the sidewalk we walked along. Calvin often said that if I didn’t tie myself down to the Earth I would float away with my thoughts, something that I usually thought of when we walked hand in hand like we did now.

I always laughed at his reactions to how my mind worked. I thought of the first time he noticed my chronic spaciness. 

We were sitting at the dinner table, I had made him spaghetti with garlic bread. I sipped at my glass of wine and spun my fork around a few noodles once more. I ate the bite I had made for myself and chewed, content. Then I heard something, a voice calling out to me. 

“Sophie?” 

I gasped and turned to Calvin sitting across from me. He was smiling at what I’m sure was a look of shock on my face.

“What did I miss?” I asked, feeling my face burn up.

“Not much.” Calvin chuckled. “What were you thinking about?”

I paused, pressing my lips together. 

“I was thinking about what it would be like to eat spaghetti in Italy, and if it would be way better than my box pasta.” I felt a knot in my stomach as I waited for him to frown, to say it was rude of me to space out in the middle of our conversation.

“Well, I guess we’ll have to go find out someday, won’t we?” His voice was gentle and made the knots in my stomach disappear. 

“Okay, what were you saying? I’m ready.” I straightened my back, focusing on his next words. He leaned in and reached across the table to take my hand in his. I leaned in as well, meeting him in the middle.

“So you don’t float away again.” He whispered, interlacing our fingers. 

Calvin never scolded me when he noticed that I had found a thought and chased it far away from our topic of conversation. He knew that I would stay with him for the days he needed me, the days that he would come home from a long day of work and needed to share his woes from the day. He knew I would always come back to him. 

We turned the corner the shop was on and Calvin stepped in front of me to hold the door open, pulling the large golden handle of the tall wooden door. The rungs on the edge looked worn from being opened so many times over the decades that the shop had been open. 

The walls were a beige cream color, and the wooden shelves were stocked well with pink, blue and yellow bags and boxes. On one side of the shop was a wall of glass jars and containers full of toffees, gumdrops and hard candies to pick out with tongs and fill paper bags. On the other was the dining area, where they made baked goods daily as well as the delicious shakes that they were famous for. 

The moment I took a step inside the door and I was instantly hit with the delectable smell of vanilla. I allowed its warm scent to guide me from the entrance to their small section of baked goods. Calvin followed my buoyant steps to observe the cookies, cupcakes, and other small desserts. The sweet treats were shielded behind a thick pane of glass and were lit up to show the craftsmanship of their bakers. They would often use the icing to create adorable images on the cookies or spell out messages.

Today, everything was white, red and pink for Valentine’s Day. I looked around the shop to admire the work they had done. Red and white streamers and ribbons were strewn across the ceiling and different counter tops and stands. They had cut pieces of paper into heart shapes and hung them on the walls. People had written various messages on them, or had written their names with hearts and stars around them. 

Calvin came up next to me and picked a pen off of the counter. He uncapped it and wrote on one of the pink hearts on the wall next to the display.

Sophie + Calvin

It was a sweet gesture, and I gave him a gentle peck on the lips.

 I pointed to one of the cookies on the other side of the pane of glass and he sighed with a smile. He flagged down one of the bakers behind the counter and began to make the order. 

Calvin met me in the middle of the shop, having split ways for a few minutes. He told me to close my eyes and hold out my hands. I obeyed, tapping my feet excitedly. I felt something light and square be set onto my palms. I opened my eyes to see a little white box with a golden ribbon on it. I felt my mouth make an “Oh” shape and I greedily unwrapped the tiny present. Inside was a piece of dark chocolate fudge with almonds in it. 

“Oh!” I exclaimed, observing the very dark chocolate in my hands.

“It’s fudge.” Calvin said, his face excited.

“It is!” I said, still not taking it out of the box. “Thank you - I’m going to save it for later.” Calvin’s face fell slightly and he pursed his lips as he watched me carefully place the box into my purse. 

“You don’t like fudge do you?” He asked.

“No I love fudge, I just-“ I frowned. “I can’t stand dark chocolate. Or almonds. I think all nuts should be banned from desserts.”

“Oh really?” Calvin smiled at me.

“Yes- There is no reason for them to be there except for the fact that they add a little bit of protein but honestly you’re already eating a sugary dessert so why try to ruin it by making it healthy?” I covered my mouth before more words came tumbling out. Calvin was standing there, looking at me with a fondness in his eyes. 

“You love chocolate and almonds, don’t you?” I cringed as I asked the question. I sighed when he nodded, and I took the box out of my purse. He took it and turned to the display case full of baked goods. 

“Which would you like?” He asked with a smile. 

I left Calvin to finish the exchange with the baker and made my way over to the decadent chocolates. 

Behind me, there were two women sitting at a table. A girl in a red cocktail dress had ordered a strawberry shake and spooned the delicious drink into her mouth as she affectionately stared at her date, who looked as though she was regaling her with an adventurous tale. At another table was a waitress who was dressed in a white button up with a pink tie and vest. She had braided her hair into a neat bun on the back of her head and smiled as she took the order of a family who was their, a mother, father and two children. 

The mother leaned over and kissed the shoulder of her husband, who quickly placed a kiss on her forehead as she did so. The two laughed at one another and shared a tender kiss.

I turned back and observed the chocolates before me. They had an entire display of chocolate boxes, all with different assortments and each one adorned with golden bows on their shining red containers. They were all so lovely, but I knew the one I had to choose.

Calvin found me a moment later and eyed the mystery box I had in my hands.

“And what is that?” He asked.

“You’ll find out later.” I answered, smiling mischievously. 

As if sharing a mind, we both turned to find seats and share a milkshake. We found the table that was at the front window empty, and I rushed to take our seats. There was a smooth jazz track playing in the shop, creating a relaxing theme in the air. 

“Aren’t they adorable?” I gestured to the couple sitting a few tables over. Calvin turned to look at them, squinting his eyes. I swatted his sleeve playfully for his lack of subtlety in sneaking a glimpse.

“So cute.” Calvin smiled at me. “Remember when we were like that?” 

“Mm-hmm.” I squeezed his hand. 

This was our thirtieth Valentine’s Day together. Each year, no matter where we were living, we found a candy shop just like this one and made it the trip over. We oohed and awed at all of the sweet treats we found, bringing them home to enjoy them with each other.

Calvin placed the cookies he had purchased for me on the table and I handed over the box I had gotten for him. He unwrapped the box and let out an excited yip when he saw what I had chosen for him. Dark chocolates with almonds. He took the chocolates from their packaging and I unwrapped my cookies.

As we bit into our treats, I looked Calvin. Over the years his hair had become gray, and the laugh lines on his face had become more pronounced. I knew I looked the same, and I knew these were the symbols of a life well lived.

 I turned to look out the window and observe the street once more and in the reflection of the window and I did not see what was supposed to be there. Instead of the old woman with gray hair and smile lines, I saw a young girl sitting across from me. 

Her hair had not grayed, her skin had not absorbed the years of life yet, and the man sitting one seat over looked just the same as her. 

These were the faces we had when we fell in love. I turned back to Calvin and saw him looking at me, with that same glimmer in his eye he had when I had talked his ear off for the first time three decades ago. The same look he had when he got down on one knee and proposed a few years later, the same look that always made me feel as though I was shining. I took his hand in my own, noticing the wrinkles that had made an imprint on each of our hands over the years. These were the faces and bodies that we shared our lives in, creating one synchronized life that we saw through together.

We sat at a table far away from the window, much to my dismay. I frowned and let out a groan as I leaned back in the metal chair. 

“It’s crowded today.” Calvin remarked, observing the families with their children running around the shop and grabbing fistfuls of candies from the jars for their parents to bag up for them. 

“I know.” I sighed, looking at the many couples who surrounded us. An old couple, a man and a woman, had taken the window table, which was exactly why we had come here. I had dressed in a white dress with red polka dots and wore red flats to go with it, thinking I could sit in the window and pretend I was in a romantic movie. I rolled my eyes at myself and leaned forward once more. It was only a table. 

“Aren’t they cute?” I asked Calvin, looking at the old couple sitting in the window. The woman looked shy as people passed by, smiling to herself. She had curly hair and rosy cheeks. She was beautiful.

“They are.” Calvin looked over to the couple and then back to me.

“Think that’ll be us some day?” I asked, watching the man touch the woman’s arm gently. 

“I’d like it to be.” Calvin said gently. My eyes shot over to him and I felt a smile spring across my face. He had pulled out a tiny red velvet box.

“Oh my God.” The words escaped from my mouth and my heart pounded in my ears. I stared at Calvin, focusing on him. The world blurred around us, the buzzing of voices seemed to suddenly become silent, and the only thing I saw was Calvin. The only thing I heard were his words.

“Sophie, you have made me the happiest man these last few years.” He paused, taking a deep breath. I felt my chest tighten and my face redden. “I want to travel the world with you, make a home with you, and grow old with you.”

I gasped, a sob breaking through my composure. I felt as though my heart was glowing inside my chest as he looked at me. He opened the little box and inside was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. A circular diamond surrounded by petal-shaped crystals were placed on a perfect golden band.

“Sophie, will you marry me?”

“YES!” I shrieked, bouncing out of my chair and meeting him on the floor. I took his face in my hands and kissed him. His free hand wrapped around me and we held each there for a moment, the kiss tender and deep and wet as tears ran down my face. 

We broke apart and I finally heard the applause around us. People were looking at us, watching as he slipped the ring onto my finger. I let out a half sob, half joyous laugh as I looked at the shining piece of our love on my hand. 

“You are everything.” I whispered to him, and pressed my lips to his once more.

I felt Calvin interlace his fingers with my own. I looked up and saw him smiling, and I knew I had disappeared again. I shook my head and leaned into the table.

“I’m here.” I said to him. 

There was a small clank on the table and we looked to see the waitress setting down a chocolate milkshake with two red straws stuck into the top.

“These are from the couple over there.” She smiled at us and went back to his station. The two ladies a few tables over were looking and gave us a little wave. We smiled back and took hold of the milkshake they had gifted us. We both leaned in and I couldn’t help but giggle quietly as we both sipped from the straws.

It was divine. The creamy sweetness glided on the tongue and melted into delectable goodness. Through the window, I glimpsed a young girl standing on the sidewalk looking at us, and I could only imagine what she saw.

A picture of love.