My Exploding Valentine

Perhaps it was a bad decision on my part, but I didn’t expect my valentine to explode.

It was our first Valentine’s together. To make it special, something memorable to look back on if our relationship went anywhere, I met her with two armfuls of helium balloons.

Even though she was much smaller than me, I never dreamed it was possible for someone to levitate when holding helium balloons, no matter what cartoons say.

But she did.

Lifting slowly at first, the balloons caught a mild breeze and she started to drift off into the bright February skies, heading towards the river.

I can still picture her face, perfectly passive, like Mary Poppins. She didn’t scream or shout, she just glided off.

Standing there watching her being carried away, I was lifting my hand to wave when one of the balloons popped. And then another.

And then she too exploded.

Children playing nearby looked up when they heard the sound. Thinking it was some kind of celebration, they were smiling, wowed by the spectacle.

I have to admit, it was pretty spectacular. I never even knew that there was a military range on the other side of the river.

If only I had ignored her when she told me to not get her flowers.

vss #10