“I took hold of that scourge -filled ship and crushed it between my limbs, hurtling it into the second sun, the red one that gave me strength. But I was too late." Terraformer
The Essential Valentine’s Day
Though Kelsey had never gone out for Valentine’s Day prior to her adventures in India, she noted the day was particularly special for her parents. When she was young, she used to watch her mom primp in front of the mirror on Valentine’s Day, noticing she’d begin several hours before her father was even due home from work.
On one such occasion her mom laughed as she powdered Kelsey’s nose, and remarked, “Valentine’s Day is important, Kelsey. It’s the day you celebrate your relationship with just one special person.”
“Will I ever do that?” a young Kelsey asked.
“Of course you will,” was the response. “But you may have to train your special someone like I did your dad.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, your father didn’t start out knowing how to express himself properly. I had to teach him the Valentine’s Day essentials.”
Kelsey’s mom spun on her vanity seat and took Kelsey’s hands. “A proper Valentine’s celebration should include things that make you remember being with the person you love, and our memory serves us best when we incorporate touch, taste, and scent.”
“You mean like the five senses?”
“Exactly.” She held up a bottle of perfume and sprayed it lightly on her wrists then rubbed them together. As she sprayed some on Kelsey’s wrists, she said, “Perfume and flowers are for the sense of smell. Your dad and I dress up so we can see each other at our best and we hold hands when we’re out on a date.”
“That’s the sense of sight and touch.”
Her mom smiled and nodded. “And we go out to eat our favorite dinner and dance to soft, romantic music.”
“And he always brings you chocolates and flowers.”
“That’s right.” She turned back to the mirror, twisted her hair up, pinned it, and continued, “Over the years your father has gotten better at remembering to do something special for Valentine’s Day but he also does little things everyday to show his love. Those little things are just as important, if not more so.”
“Little things like what?”
“Well, he makes the bed every morning. Did you know that?”
Kelsey shook her head.
“Your dad can also tell if I’m feeling anxious or tired and he rubs my shoulders. Sometimes he just puts his arms around me for no reason at all or whispers he loves me. All of those things are how you know you’ve got the right man.”
Kelsey considered for a moment. “I don’t think the right man for me is at my school.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because mostly the boys push me or pull my braids.”
Her mom laughed. “Boys usually grow out of that phase but you’re too young now to look for the right man anyway.”
As Madison Hayes prepared for her date, her young daughter picked up her journal and wrote down the things her mother had talked about so she’d know the right man when she met him.
Kelsey’s Essential Valentine’s Day List
The right man will bring me chocolate and flowers.
He will take me out for a delicious dinner
with candles and romantic music.
He’d dress up and hold my hand.
This entry was posted in Bonus Material, Tiger's Curse.
New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she's not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.