A Valentine's Date with a Gentleman
You stir awake only to find that your gentleman is not by your side, but you can smell a sweet aroma filling the room and can only assume that he’s in the kitchen. You run downstairs to find that your hunches were right, and there he is in his sillycooking apron stacking pancakes on a plate.
“Good morning,Darling.” he smiles. He walks toward you and gives you a small peck on the cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day. I hope you are ready for tonight.”
We have plans tonight? You ask yourself. And almost as if he can read your thoughts he answers, “I have a special evening for us planned out, I’ve been keeping it a surprise until today.” He chuckles. Aww, you should’ve known The Once-ler would have something up his sleeve. You take your seat at the dining table, and he places a plate of pancakes in front of you and takes his seat. You eat together peacefully.
You’ve missed this. You’ve missed him. Sure, he’s around and he’ll pop up from time to time, but it’s rare for him to stick around for this long. He has a business to attend to, after all, and with the industry growing you can’t blame him for his excitement, but sometimes you worry that the success will go to his head, but never mind that.
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What to wear. What to wear…
You search your wardrobe for the perfect outfit. Though he insists that he would have you in anything you wear, it’s still fun to dress up every now and again.
You make your way downstairs, where he’s waiting for you in the most perfect and proper attire and for a second you fear that you’re underdressed compared to him, but he looks at you with that look he always gives. That look, the one where he can see nothing else, no one else just you. And you’re reminded that you’re loved.
 “Beautiful.” He says. And your face heats up. As you reach the last few steps, he offers his hand and guides you to the bottom floor and leads you out the door.
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You arrive at a fancy restaurant.
You’ve been here before. Well, you’ve been to so many fancy restaurants it shouldn’t be a surprise that you’ve went to the same one more than once, but you remember this one being one of the more enjoyable ones.
You take your seats and the waiter introduces the menu and offers you drinks. You ask for _________(beverage) and he asks for tea (of course). Searching the menu, you ponder on whether to try something new or to stick with what you know. Gent orders tacos from a fancy restaurant and it’s strange, yet endearing that despite being able to have anything he wants, he enjoys the simple things in life. And who knows, maybe the tacos are really that great, so you order what he’s having.
The food arrives. You both enjoy a delicious meal.
The waiter comes back to take your plates and asks if you would like dessert, Gent turns to you and asks what your favorite dessert is. You respond with “__________!”
“That sounds delicious”, he agrees. “We’ll have two of those, Sir.”
“I’m sorry, but we are all out,” says the waiter, “would you like to try anything else?” Scanning the menu, you shake your head. No thank you. Everything else in the menu is made from truffula fruit and when your husband works in the thneed industry, you can get tired of it.
 Gent chuckles, “Shall we be on our way then?”
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He covers your eyes and leads you somewhere. You can’t see, but you can hear the crisp sounds of grass beneath your feet. You can feel your steps inclining in an awkward way, but you trust that he will take care of you. And you can smell the sweet scent of butterfly milk to the point that you can almost taste it.
When you reach the top, he takes his hands away from your face and you know exactly where you are. You’re at the very peak of the truffula meadow where you can see the truffula trees and the starry sky and your gentleman.
There’s a thneed blanket already laid out on the ground and you sit upon it. He sits beside you and holds your hand, letting your fingers intertwine.
“I love you.”
 And you know this to be true because he gives you that look again.
He has a picnic basket ready. Taking out a thermos, he pours you a cup of hot chocolate and places a marshmallow on top. He reaches in the basket and takes out-
“__________________!” You cry out in surprise. It’s the dessert you wanted from the restaurant. Of course he would remember what your favorite dessert is. He hands you a plate of the sweet treat and you both dig in.
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You lay your head upon his shoulder and you both sit there, looking up at the starry sky, watching the swomee swan fly by and it’s a perfect moment.
His steady breathing lifts your head up and down, until you hear a sigh. You shift from your position to look up at him with concern. Is something wrong?Â
His face changes from its previously happy state to one full of distress. Â He looks at you with those bright blue eyes, and then looks away. You both stand up and he takes both of your hands in his.
“I have to be honest with you. Â
I’m not the best example of a gentleman and I know I’m not. When I inherited this success, some of it may have gotten to my head –chuckles- and I’ve done many things, said many things I’m not all too proud of.
I’d like to think I’ve grown from then.
Granted, I may not be around as much as I used to, but my love for you has never changed. And though I’m not here all of the time, it does not mean that you are alone.  You have me in your heart and I have you in mine.
We may not always be together… Someday I might do something that you could never forgive or perhaps you’ll simply outgrow me, or you’ll fall for someone else and that’s okay.
I want you to be happy because you deserve the world. Never settle for any less, because you deserve the best, you deserve everything.”
 He wraps his arms around you and embraces you.
“I want you to know that you are loved and that you should love yourself because you are wanted. You’re beautiful, talented, wonderful! Do not let anyone convince you otherwise, not even yourself."
"Happy Valentine’s Day, Love.”
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“Happy Valentine’s Day, Mister Once-ler.”
