Last night I decided to tease Dave and give him a laundry list of what I wanted for Valentines Day (I already got a huge cactus that was supposed to be my V day gift but I wanted to act spoiled and tease him a little).  On it was a Fossil purse, some pajamas and an X Box game.  I wrote on the back that I was just teasing him and wouldn't be mad if he didn't get me anything else - underlining the 'won't be mad/upset' part so's he get the message that I wasn't being serious.

When I gave him the note he read it and exclaimed "this is B.S!"  I explained that it was in fun and that I didn't mean it; I had just given it to him to see what his reaction would be.  "Yeah, but now I feel obligated to get you this stuff" he said.  "well, you're not and don't feel like you are" I replied, and thought that was the end of it.

This morning before he left he said he wouldn't be home for lunch because he was going to the store to get me my list items.  I said not to, that he didn't have to and that I wasn't being serious...

At lunchtime he called me and asked me how big of a bag I wanted.  Half an hour later he called and asked could I please come to his office.  So, I go up there, and he presents me with this big box of chocolates and (in front of his co-worker, mind you) says "will you please be my valentine?"....and then hands me the purse he bought for me.  "It's perfect" he says "see, it's got a place for your cell phone, it's big enough for a book, and I even tried it on when nobody else was around to make sure that the strap was long enough for you to wear it across your chest the way you like". 

But that wasn't all.  I opened the zipper on the purse, and there's the XBox game I had wanted in there.

I feel incredibly guilty now.  I wasn't being serious about that list, it was just in fun.....but he, bless his little heart, went and got what I asked for. 

Dave's not a traditionally romantic person.  He's not big on PDA (public displays of affection), and he's just not a gushy type of guy.  But when he does things like he did today; when he goes and gets me things like this and takes time over what he's getting me to make sure it's just about perfect...when he does things for me 'just because' .... that's his way of telling me and the world that he loves me above all others.  That he tried the purse on to make sure the strap was long enough to fit me is bringing me to tears this afternoon.  He actually took the time to make sure what he was getting for me would be perfect.  How awesome is that?

When he does things like this it makes the deployments and separations so much easier to bear.  It reminds me that underneath all the military crap and stress and strife and underneath all the dad-type stuff ...that underneath it all there's the man I married.

I love you, D...not because you bought me stuff, but because you're YOU.  I love you, and that's never going to change.  I'm always going to be your girl.

Always.