Poppy Belcourt’s favorite holiday was Valentine’s Day. Her mother had begun a tradition when she was a child where she bought her a heart box full of chocolate-covered strawberries and a pink stuffed animal. That started her love of pink and everything romance. It also created a severe romance addiction. Poppy had a tradition where she would splurge on herself for Valentine’s Day and buy special editions of her favorite stories or tickets to meet her favorite authors.
She was a junior in high school and had resigned herself to another year alone in her room doing her homework while she watched her friends post their Valentine’s Day dates on Instagram. Poppy reasoned that she didn’t need romance in high school because she had planned to attend a meet and greet at the local bookstore alone this weekend. Poppy had eaten the chocolate-covered strawberries and finished the romance book she was reading that day. She didn’t need the drama of getting ready for a date or the anxiety of hoping he liked her.
Poppy had been stuck on an AP Physics problem for nearly 20 minutes when the doorbell rang incessantly. She peered over at the window that faced her annoyingly attractive neighbor, Eli Daniel, and found the light in his room to be dimmed, so she quickly ran down the stairs and found him frantically pointing at the door. So, ever the naive girl, she opened the door and watched him quickly run in and slam the door.
His once platinum blond hair had settled to a lighter shade of brown that swooped over his hazel eyes that teetered the line of gray, green, and brown. The thin arms that used to have trouble pushing him over the fence between their houses had filled the arms in his suit jacket. Poppy briefly remembered her mother droning on and on about his hockey achievements while she stressed over a test at dinner. But now, the worshiped boy was in her house, going to the more secluded entertainment room while she merely trailed behind him in her own home.
“I just ran one mile away from my date. It was some stupid blind date my friends forced me to go to, but when we got through the appetizers, she had already recited my entire hockey history. Poppy, I think this girl knew more about me than I knew about her. So I pretended I had to go to the bathroom, and I ran. And I knew she would look for my house first. So, I ran here-“Eli’s eyes finally stopped looking so frantic and took in Poppy’s pink Snoopy sweater and sweatpants before smirking at her makeup-free face.
“Was I interrupting something?
“If you think crying over physics was interrupting, then of course you were, and I find that very rude.” Poppy self-consciously ran a hand through her wild curls and hoped they were somewhat contained in the braid she had done early.
“Was it problem number 7? Because I caved and wrote “IDK” and went on with my day. But…now that I’m here, I feel obligated to at least make your Valentine’s Day a little less…boring?” Eli grabbed a chocolate heart from the dining room table and popped it in his mouth before shrugging off his suit jacket and flopping onto the couch. Poppy rolled her brown eyes at Eli’s antics before nearly launching into a speech about how being alone on Valentine’s Day doesn’t automatically mean she was having a boring night. Still, Eli glanced at her, nearly telepathic, and shook his head before patting the seat beside him.
“So I’m thinking like a 2000’s rom-com tonight. Maybe 10 Things I Hate About You? It feels very fitting with the way the temperature decreased in the house with your icy glare directed at ME. Or maybe The Wedding Planner. Unpopular opinion, but I liked Matthew McConaughey better in this movie than in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”
While Poppy was attempting to wrap her mind around Eli Daniel’s being in her house, all she could think to say was, “Is your favorite number 10?” This prompted Eli to laugh loudly in the silent house before pulling out his phone and showing her a picture of his jersey number—ten.
“Are you not going to leave until you think I’ve had a successful Valentine’s Day? Because I did, Eli. Just because I don’t have a boyfriend doesn’t mean I don’t have a life, and for you to think that is inclusive-“ the sound of beginning credits stopped her train of thought while Eli quickly silenced her.
“Look, Poppy, I would much rather be here, watching a romantic comedy with you, than ever be in a restaurant on Valentine’s Day with someone I don’t know. Now, shush, the movies are starting!”
20 YEARS LATER
That was the start of Poppy and Eli’s novel-worthy romance. A date gone wrong had provided Eli an excuse to break the ice with his neighbor that he was out of his mind in love with (and had been since he was ten years old). That failed date was the reason why they watched 10 Things I Hate About You that night and every Valentine’s Day after that. It was Poppy and Eli’s tradition to buy special edition books the weekend after Valentine’s Day as a present to Poppy. Eli’s gift was the chocolate-covered strawberries Poppy made for him every year and the treasure of hunting for a new pink-stuffed bear somewhere around their house.
Valentine’s Day has always been Poppy Belcourt’s favorite holiday. But she never knew it would also be her wedding anniversary. It’s funny how love surprises us all like that.
