For Her

I sit with all the others, watching as people pick out the best message to send to their loved ones. Most of them are adults, sometimes families. I wait, knowing that I will probably have a harder time getting picked as I’m blank inside, waiting to be filled with whatever message someone has to send. Even my outside appearance is simply pink and red hearts over a pastel background. I’m simple, but lovely to someone.

As it gets to be afternoon, I still wait. Soon, a person much younger than the usual customers walks in. He has jet black hair and big glasses. He can’t be older than thirteen, his face still looking young. Each of us try to present ourselves well, myself included. How can I get picked if I don’t even try to look good? He grazes over the many options, until his eyes rest upon me and the label above me. His hands reach towards me, grabbing the envelope behind me as well and flips me over a few times. Am I about to be picked?

“This seems okay, maybe she’ll like it,” the boy says to himself.

He walks away from the shelves with me in tow. I’ve been picked! Someone wants me! I’ll finally get to be used for my purpose. As I get scanned and paid for, I wonder who I will eventually belong to. I’m guessing it’s a girl. But this boy is too young to be in love with anyone, isn’t he? Maybe it’s for his mother?

I am placed in a bag and carried to a car. I can’t really see anything through the plastic, but I can tell that the car is moving, on it’s way to my new home. I wait with excitement this time. Part of me can’t believe that I’m finally being picked for someone. It feels even better than I thought.

“Do you think you found a good one?” A deeper voice asks as the car comes to a stop.

“I hope so,” the little boy tells the voice. I guess it’s his dad.

I am taken inside and the boy heads straight upstairs. He walks into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. It looks just like a little boy’s room, movie posters and action figures everywhere. His blue walls and wood floors seem to fit him just right. He sits down at the desk in the corner of the room and clears all the papers away, setting me down in the middle. He picks up a pen, ready to write, but then hesitates. Why did he stop?

“What if I mess up?” His voice suggests that he is really worried about this.

Suddenly he pulls out a piece of lined paper and writes a draft of his message. I wait as he makes multiple drafts of this letter. He looks ready to pull his hair out when a new voice calls for him.

“Andy, come eat dinner!” A woman’s voice calls.

“Alright, one second mom,” the boy, Andy, replies. He sighs and leaves me alone.

Clearly this letter is important to him. I wonder if the person who it is for knows how important they are to him. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I feel special and not just because of the glitter on my cover this time.

Eventually, Andy returns and picks up his pen once more. It has gotten darker now, so he flicks on his lamp. The light makes my white insides shine and appear even better than before. I watch as he tries once more to write his letter on the lined paper. He seems more focused than before. Andy finishes the letter and turns to me. He bites his lip, then puts his pen to my surface.
As he writes the letter, it tickles me and I can’t help but flutter a little, giving him a hard time. I try my best to stay still as he finishes his letter and draws a small smiley face at the bottom. He puts a date at the top, Valentine’s Day. Oh! It’s Valentine’s Day! This makes it even better.

Andy turns off the lamp after tucking me into the envelope. I think about what will happen once I am given to whoever I am for. Will they accept me? Reject me? I hope they like me.

In the morning, Andy is rushing around his room. He’s dressed in a nice red sweater and khaki pants. His dark hair is parted and his glasses sit nicely on his nose. He looks great! With me and the way he looks, there’s no way he can fail.

He picks me up swiftly and carries me out of the house again. The car starts and takes him to school. Before he leaves, his dad gives him a high five and some words of encouragement. Andy heads out, gripping me tight. I wish he would relax, he’ll bend me up. Soon, he sets me down inside his locker. I can hear all the people around me, including Andy, wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day. Quickly, Andy pulls me out again and holds me behind his back. His hands are shaking.

“Sarah, hi! Happy Valentine’s Day,” he says to someone I can’t see.

“Oh hi Andy! Happy Valentine’s Day.” A cheerful voice floods my thoughts. It’s a girl.

“I...I got you something.” Andy pulls me from behind his back and soon I’m placed in a much softer grip.

“This is for me?” Sarah smiled as she pulls me out of my envelope. Above me are now warm brown eyes, gently sprinkled freckles and a genuine smile.

When I am opened, all the sweet words that Andy wrote to Sarah yesterday night are revealed once again. It’s all about how nice she is, how much he likes her and that he hopes she enjoys her Valentine’s Day. Sarah’s cheeks turn a deep crimson color as she reads the entire note. She closes me up and looks back to Andy.

“That was so sweet. Thank you Andy,” she says softly, hugging him tightly.

I’m squished in between them, but it’s there that I can feel what it is like to feel your heart long for another for the first time. It’s a million fireworks going off but it’s also like the ground is falling from under your feet. It’s new and it’s wonderful. I want to always give that feeling.