-Why Valentine?-

I've often wondered what it'd be like if we lived in a world without love. It's just such a complex feeling that intertwines and binds itself to most of our other emotions. Without it, we might as well be zombies, or zombies of zombies, or. . . well, you get it. There are, from my experience, three different variations of love. One such example is the affection and care a mother gives to her son. I can tell you that it is one of the warmest feelings you can have, and, as I've seen, it had the potential to drive a creature absolutely crazy. Then, there is the love of a sister. I don't even know how to fully describe it without delving into some big, longwinded story about the many adventures of Minnie, myself, and Mimmie, and I have more than enough of those. Then, there is the love that we celebrate on this very day. It is a feeling that two people have for each other that serves to draw them closer and closer together, kind of like magnets. A fragile feeling that can easily snap a treasured bond apart just as well as create one. Humans have experienced, at the very least, one of these feelings at some point in their lives. Now, to some people, love might not seem like such a big deal. Let me tell you, it is a big mistake to think that. Love is not something to be taken for granted, especially due to how much of a grasp it has on our lives.

When I first met the love of my life—Ana—in a cozy little cathedral in Snowman, I was a lot like those people. Love just didn't concern me at the time, and I assumed that it wouldn't concern me until I was much older. That didn't end up happening, and I fell for her harder than I ever thought I could for anyone. While I did accept this fact, I never acted on my feelings. It'd take the span of nearly an entire week and the realization that I could die in the next ten minutes to open my heart to her. Even then, the only reason I did was because she opened her own first. Looking at her now, nearly five years later, I had to scold myself for being such a foolish boy. If I hadn't told her, or—God forbid—outright lie to her about it, I don't know if I'd still be staring at such a beautiful sight.

We both decided to spend Valentine's Day at her parent's cathedral, with their permission. I had only arrived a few minutes ago, and the frigid air of Snowman had already took its toll on my body temperature. Much to my delight, they had already lit up their fireplace, so warming up hadn't been a problem at all. Ana ended up next to me, as you might ascertain, and we simply sat there, watching the flickering flames as they bathed both of us in an orange glow. I turned to her, lips curved into a smile. Her face was indeed awash in the glow of the fire, and looked like a setting sun. Now, unlike a situation in which I was sitting next to the sun, my face wasn't melting into goop from extreme heat, but at the same time, my cheeks felt curiously warmer than the rest of my body.

I could almost call her an angel, and giving who it was, that label would describe her quite well. However, I would never say such a thing. A lot of her beauty lies in her humanity; the kindness she shows to others, the compassionate and slightly goofy attitude, and her generousity were among many of the reasons why I was happy to be her boyfriend, and I felt that calling her an angel would spoil the humanity that made her so special to begin with, even if the definition would fit her.

Ana turned to look at me, wearing a smile that lit up the room twice as much as the glow of the fire. I raised my hand and cupped her cheek in it. She giggled quitely and nuzzled her cheek against it, kind of like a pillow.

The feeling of love can blind us just as much as it makes us see. Me and her were both a far cry from perfect, and we knew that. Some people see their significant other through rose-colord lenses and completely disregard any flaws that they have. Now, if that particular 'other' was a serial killer, then there might be a couple of issues to work out there. It was an extreme example, sure, but it's an example nonetheless. An example of it in our relationship might be Ana's timid nature. She was an extremely shy woman, and it often stopped us from showing up at big social events. Was it a flaw? A minor one, but is it worth breaking up over it? Absolutely freaking not. I know I might seem a tad insensitive saying things like this, but if your significant other is truly the one for you, you have to be willing to accept the minor flaws, while showing a concern for the major ones.

It was without a doubt that Ana could read my thoughts. It was an ability that all psychics were capable of using, and with remembering that, a surge of worry flowed through me. I had never really said anything bad about her before, and I wasn't sure how she'd take being called flawed. However, when I stared into her eyes, I could tell at an instant that she truly didn't mind, and with that, all of my worry melted under her gaze. She slowly began to lean her head towards mine, and, with a gentle chuckle, I leaned forward to kiss her. Even after all of this time, we still felt the unmistakeable spark of love and passion as we did when we had our very first kiss. It was like an electric current was running through us, and with that feeling, I could absolutely, one-hundred percent say that she was the one for me.