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It started off like an ordinary morning, but that should’ve been Kanaya’s first warning that something was off. Most days something was happening; the mothergrub was sick, or the latest batch of wigglers kept wandering off, or there was an early hatching. It was rare to have a quiet morning these days.
Still, it was nice—A warm mug of honeysuckle tea in her hand, the latest draft of Rose’s new book in her lap, and a nice soft sofa.
But of course, right as the book was getting good, someone knocked at the door, killing the mood. With a sigh, Kanaya sat her mug on the foot table. She stood, dimmed her glow, and walked over to the door. She pulled it open with a polite disinterested smile.
Roxy hurried in through the door without so much as a greeting. That was normal; she tended to make herself at home. After all, they were family.
“Good morning Roxy,” Kanaya said, watching her jog over to a bookcase. “I have some extra tea on the stove. Would you like some?”
“Hahah, thanks Kany, but I’m on a suuuuper high-stakes mission, no time for all that,” she said, pulling down a thick book of poetry, considering the cover seriously. “Shit, I’m gonna lose my mind if I don’t find something good! Is Rose home?”
Kanaya picked up her mug, following Roxy curiously over to the bookcase. “She was quite overworked last night, so I’d prefer to let her sleep in as long as possible,” she said. “Is there something that I could do for you in her stead? You seem... more worked up than is usual.”
Roxy smiled thankfully, pulling out another thick book, this time one of Rose’s originals. “Well, uh, I don’t really know? But if you could that would totally rock. I’m trying to do something super sweet and hella romantic for Calliope since it’s our first Valentine’s Day together, but I can’t figure it out.”
“Valentine’s Day? What is that?” asked Kanaya, lowering her mug. She drummed her fingers against the ceramic thoughtfully. “I do not believe I’ve heard of it before.”
Roxy paused, flipping through a third book, chewing her lip. “Oh, no? It’s this human holiday thing. You’re supposed to do really nice stuff for your lover, to, like, prove how much you love them? Since it’s Callie’s first time, I want to make it really really special for her. I was hoping Rose would be home for some advice,” she said, shaking her head as she set the books aside. “Aw shit. Maybe I’ll ask Dirk? He’s a Prince of Heart, he should know about romance, right?” Roxy decided, tucking the book of poetry under her arm. “But that could be supes weird since he knows I used to have a crush on him. Hmmm.”
Kanaya set down her mug, folding her arms with a frown. “So this 'Valentine’s Day' event is important, then?” she asked slowly, glancing over at the door to the bedroom.
“It’s, like, hellas important,” Roxy said, already halfway out the door. “Anyway, I got to go. Callie loves flowers, and if I can’t find her any, I’ll die of total shame.” With that, she slammed the door behind her and ran.
Kanaya watched the closed door for a while, thinking carefully. Why didn’t Rose tell her if there was an important human holiday? She walked over to the living room desk, sitting down at the computer. A quick search of Valentine’s Day brought up hundreds of pictures of sickeningly neon pink and purple hearts. Apparently it had caught on here for all of Earth C as well, and in all the time caring for the mother grub, she'd simply been to busy to really hear about it.
She opened a new browser window, searching for advice on what was expected. There were all sorts of varied ideas, from rides in hot air balloons to handmade lacy dresses. Finally, she found a webpage that covered the absolute basics.
“SO YOU FORGOT VALENTINE’S DAY” Uh oh! You forgot the big ol’ day of romance, shithead! 5/8 godtiers agree, Valentine’s is the third worst day to forget, right behind your anniversary and your s/o’s birthday. Odds are by now, there isn’t time to rent a romantic carriage ride or a trip to the beach, so what the hell do you do now? First, roses. Roses are, like, the default romance option. I recommend either white or red, because they’re the best damn colors ever, and their romantic or some shit. Second, chocolates. Chocolate is the most romantic thing, period. It’s sweet and delicious and makes everyone happy. Unless they’re allergic, in which case you should break up with them immediately and eat the chocolate yourself. Third, and most important, music. Romantic songs are like an orgy to the ears, a total aphrodisiac. Write a quick love song, and you got that shit on lockdown like a tiger in a zoo. For more romance tips, check out the articles, “When Your Crush Thinks Your Straight,” and “What the Hell Why Am I Still Single.” — David S.
Roses, chocolates, and a romantic song. That didn’t seem too unreasonable. And she’d do anything for Rose. She’d just make a quick trip out of the brooding caverns, buy the roses and chocolates, figure out how exactly to write an emotionally vulnerable love ballad, and hurry back home. After all, how hard could it really be?
A friendly bell over the door chimed as Kanaya walked into the “Flowers and All That Good Shit” floral shop. She’d been here once or twice before, to place orders for the wedding and to pick up little gifts for dates. But she’d never seen it so barren. Sure, there were a few shrubs, some lewdly shaped bonsai trees, and an entire wall dedicated to seed packets, but that was it.
Normally you couldn’t so much as breath without knocking over a flower pot or a vase. Now, all the display tables were empty, nothing left but a few stray leaves. But of course there would be some in the back, right?
Kanaya stepped up to the counter, tapping the customer service bell. While she waited for an employee, she reapplied her lipstick, tapping her foot anxiously.
Finally, a short yellow-blooded troll came out from the back room, visibly flustered. “Hey, holy shit, thanks for your patience, what the hell can I do for you today?” she said quickly, shoving a phone into a pocket on her muddy apron.
“Good morning,” Kanaya said, pulling out her wallet. “I would like to buy some roses for my wife.”
The worker laughed, wiping a few stray crumbs of dirt off her hands. “Holy hell, are you shitting me right now? Roses sold out three days ago. My poor rosebushes are basically a bunch of shitty sticks now, it’ll be, like, weeks before they even start budding again.”
Oh. That was unfortunate. Kanaya sighed, shaking her head. “That’ll be alright. What other flowers do you have for sale?”
“None,” the worker said, offering an apologetic smile. “Daisies, peonies, tulips, dahlias; all gone. Hell, even the zinnias are sold out, and they were a damn shitty batch. I gave the last bouquet to my girlfriend just this morning. There isn’t a single flower left, dude. They aren’t exactly stereotypical romantic fodder, but I have some damn good succulents left if you want. The roseums and burro’s tails are hella nice.”
Kanaya rubbed her temples, gritting her teeth. “No, thank you, I really need flowers. Do you know any other places I can purchase some? Any at all?”
The worker shook her head, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Look, I know who you are. You’re one of the founders of the planet, right? That’s awesome, I even remember the order for your wedding. White hydrangea, red roses, and heather, damn gorgeous palette. If there were any way to help you, I would, but you’re gonna have a shitty time tryin’ to get your hands on flowers on Valentine's Day,” she said. “Do you have any friends who garden?”
“I garden a little, but I don’t have roses,” Kanaya said, shaking her head. She paused, pressing her fingers to her lips. “Then again, I may know someone. . .”
“. . .And that’s why I desperately need to invade your garden,” Kanaya explained quickly, stroking the fluffy sheepdog that sat on her feet.
Jade frowned thoughtfully, considering Kanaya’s situation. A tall boxer padded over, whining for attention. Jade scooped the dog up in both arms, patting it affectionately as she thought. “I think Rover might have dug up my rose bushes last week,” she said.
Kanaya sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. “That’s fine. I’m sure I’ll find some other acceptable way to—”
“Or was it the pumpkins?” Jade said, tapping her foot. “Or maybe that was last month and I already replanted? It might have. . . wait, what were we talking about again?”
“I need a bouquet of roses to give to Rose,” Kanaya repeated.
Jade laughed, turning pink. “Right, sorry, I forgot. I think one of the dogs dug up my bush a month or two ago?” she said, scratching the boxer lightly between the ears. “But I’ve also been working with Jake and Jane to set up planters that speed up the growing process, and I think I was testing one of the prototypes with a new rose bush. We can go check!”
Kanaya let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” Jade set down the boxer, kissed the sheepdog between the ears, and headed into the house. She motioned for Kanaya to follow.
The house was fairly messy, but in a careful, almost calculated way. Half-built machines sat on every open surface, each couch and cushion had its own colorful squiddle plush, and potted plants crammed every window sill. Jade motioned Kanaya over to the transportalizer, and in a flash of light, the two of them were several floors up in the garden observatory.
The designed chaos was even more obvious here. Everything was set out in a grid, walkways around each planter box. In some places, it looked as though the room were sorted by color, in others by size, and still others, it was nothing but row after row of pumpkins. Strange, misshapen devices sprouted from the ground, or protruded from the dirt, or hung from the ceiling. Jade had offered to give her some, but Kanaya had always preferred gardening by hand than via the power of science. It was far less confusing.
In spite of the seeming randomness, Jade led Kanaya through the room with confidence, straight back to a row of bushes.
“Forsythias, sugar maple, olea—Cooper, what are you doing in the oleander?” Jade said, dragging an embarrassed looking doberman out from behind the low branches. “I made you a really nice dog bed, but no, you just want to sleep in the dirt and chew my roots, huh bud?” She gave the dog a kiss before shooing him off. “Get out of here.”
Kanaya paused, a colorful red catching her eye. “Oh!” She followed the splotch of color down the path, breathing a sigh of relief. “These are your roses, right?”
“Hey, they’re looking pretty good! The planter must be working pretty well,” Jade said eagerly, sprinting over. “Let me just—” she held up her hands, and in a soft green glow, the blossoms expanded in size, scaled up almost twice as big. “There we go. Take as many as you need!” She paused, smiling. “While you do that, I gotta go. I’m making Valentine’s cards for everyone, and I’m not finished! I’ll send your’s and Rose’s to your house tonight.”
“Thank you so much,” Kanaya said gratefully, waving goodbye before Jade teleported away. She turned back to the bush and pulled a pair of sewing scissors out of her pockets. As she reached for the first rose stem, however, she noticed a small piece of paper in the planter box. It looked like an envelop, sealed with a little burgundy heart sticker.
Most days, Kanaya couldn’t help meddling. She couldn’t help feeling invested in the lives of her friends, after all.
But then again, most people just said she was being “nosy,” and Jade was doing her a favor. In the end, she decided she’d pry into the matter another day.
After all, she still had quite a bit of questing of her own to do.
Kanaya knocked on the door again, tapping her foot impatiently. It was practically noon. Rose had been texting her for at least an hour asking where she was, and she’d done her best not to respond. This needed to be a surprise. How else was she supposed to prove her wifely merit?
Finally the door swung open. John stood in the door, with an awkward smile and an air of embarrassment. Ironically, he seemed out of breath. His hair was tousled, his shirt was on backwards, and his glasses were crammed over his eyes as if he’d put them on in a hurry. “Uh, Kanaya! Happy Valentine’s Day! Is Rose with you?” he asked, glancing out the door anxiously.
“No, I am here on my own. I am in dire straits and need your assistance as soon as possible. There is an emergency,” Kanaya said, hurrying inside.
John hurried around her, standing between her and the stairs. “Woah! I mean, uh, what’s going on? How can I help?” he said, eyes wide with concern.
“It’s about Rose,” Kanaya told him grimly.
“Oh gosh, is she alright? Did something happen?” John asked, clasping his hands to his mouth in shock.
Kanaya shook her head seriously. “She did not forewarn me about your human matesprit holiday. I’ve spent the entire morning trying to collect the necessary items, but I have little time.”
After a moment, John laughed, sighing in relief. “You kinda scared me there! I thought you were gonna say she disappeared or died or got mind-controlled, or something horrible. But yeah, if I know anything about romance, and I don’t really know a ton, you’re in some pretty deep dogshit, huh?”
“That’s exactly why I’m here,” Kanaya said. “I’m well aware that you are a talented pianist, and I know a few basics, so I was hoping you could assist me in writing a love song to give her.”
John paused, glancing anxiously up the stairs. “I, uh. . .” He wiped his glasses on the hem of his shirt, realizing with a start that it was on backward. “Well I guess. . . I can squeeze it in? I mean, we're basically sort of family. Or, like, family friends?”
“Excellent,” Kanaya said, breathing a sigh of relief. She grabbed him by the wrist, dragging him through the house to the room she knew he kept the piano in. “I’ve been learning basic piano scales and chords so I can accompany Rose’s violin practice, but aside from that, I am fairly green, in a manner of speaking."
John sat down on the piano bench, motioning for her to sit next to him. “I mostly play other people’s music, but I've played around with composing a couple times. Do you want the song to have lyrics?”
Kanaya tapped her cheek thoughtfully. “Yes,” she decided. “Romantic lyrics to express how strongly my flushed feelings for her are. Ideally something poetic and heavy with prose and symbolism, maybe with some subtle and tasteful risque lines, she would find those rather pleasing/”
“Okay, uh, I usually just make lyrics out of goofy poems or puns I think up,” John said. “How about you write the lyrics, and I write an easy melody to match?”
Well, she’d prefer to create the entire thing herself, emotional and from the heart and all that, but she was in a rush. She’d just have to put extra love into the words, then. “That seems fairly—”
THUD.
Kanaya looked up at the ceiling in concern. “What was that?” she asked, reaching for her purse, tensing at the prospect a fight could break out.
John’s face burned a bright red, and he forcefully turned all his attention to the blank sheet music. “What was what? I didn’t hear anything.”
“That thud, surely you—”
“Ow, shit! John? John where the hell are you, did they leave yet?” A muffled voice yelled from upstairs.
Kanaya paused, folding her arms. She looked back at John, not bothering to hide her grin. “I wasn’t aware you—”
“If you say a word, I won’t help you write this song,” John said quickly. After a moment’s hesitation, blushing even more fiercely, he turned to call out over his shoulder. “Hey, uh, you should probably get dressed, I’m gonna be a while.”
“Aw shit, things were just heating up. We’d just hit a boil, we were right on course for things to start getting steamier than a hothouse up here, we were gonna set the bed on fire, you don—”
“Stop!” John interrupted, looking ready to melt into a puddle of embarrassed goo. “We’ll talk later okay! Uh, Kanaya’s here!” There was a loud swearing upstairs, followed by the sound of several pieces of furniture getting knocked over. After a moment, there was the sound of silence. Out the window, Kanaya could just make out a red figure flying away from the second floor at top speed.
She smiled at John teasingly, raising an eyebrow. “You know, I am obligated to tell my wife that you and a member of her family are enjoying sexual experiences together in a clandestine manner,” she said. “It would be wrong of me not to inform her of such a development.”
“We—we’re gonna tell everyone, eventually,” John stammered. “But it’s kinda a new thing and I haven’t ever, really dated any guys before? So it's, weird and we're still figuring it out —and if you tell anyone I won’t help you write this song.”
Kanaya sighed, passing John one of the pens on top of the piano. “Very well. All I was insinuating was that it might be interesting if you two came with Rose and myself on a double date. Perhaps some day.”
Two out of three. She had the bouquet of glimmering red roses, now tied with a white ribbon, and the sheet music she’d hammered out with John for the past few hours. It was afternoon now, and she had one last item to find; chocolates.
Predictably, all the stores were sold out. Apparently, they were just as popular as flowers, if not more so. A few particularly pesky clerks had tried to push her into buying cards, or heart-shaped balloons, or Valentine’s themed lingerie, but she had a list, and not hell onr high water would stop her from giving Rose a classic human Valentine’s.
Thankfully, she did have some higher connections, so while others might find it impossible to get chocolate, Kanaya had a source.
In a flash of light, she appeared on the bright red CrockerCorp branded transportalizer in the guest department. The usually pristine company was a mess. People were shouting, running around with stacks of paperwork and boxes of goods. It had only been like this once before, when Kanaya visited during the winter holiday season.
That had been far, far worse. The mere memory was enough to make her shudder.
Kanaya stuck to the walls, trying to keep out of the way as she walked over to the reception desk. A short, scrawny carapacian sat at the desk, frantically typing at the computer. It glanced up at her, offering a brief nod of greeting.
“I’m here to see Jane Crocker,” Kanaya said. There really wasn’t much need to explain herself. Everyone at CrockerCorp knew the director was one of the founders of Earth C, and had explicit instruction to let any of her friends in, regardless of whether or not they had an appointment. Naturally, the receptionist nodded, pointing a little insect claw at the transportalizer behind them.
Kanaya stepped on, and in another flash of light, she was whizzed away. When the light faded, she was standing inside a huge glass dome at the top of a massive red tower. Out either side of the glass were two spires, both fashioned in the shape of giant spoons.
At the center of the room was a large, imposing desk, crammed with half-written cookbooks, computer monitors, and all sorts of Crockercorp gadgets. Standing behind the desk in a smart suit, her hair scraggly and frayed, Jane was talking urgently into a phone.
“What do you mean the shipment got lost?” she said. She offered Kanaya a tired smile, holding up a finger to signal her to wait. “How do you lose a thirteen-thousand shipment of handcrafted chocolate flowers? Listen, I appreciate the work you do for this company, I really do, but one more mistake like this and you’re going to have to find a new job. Wait, what? How many legal claims? I thought I told you not to post that billboard, it’s inappropriate and—you know what, I’ve got to go. Call me with an update in an hour.”
She turned off her phone, dashed around her desk, and grabbed Kanaya up in a big squishy hug. Kanaya always thought Jane had the second best hugs—strong, energetic, and marshmallowy. The first best hugs were, of course, Rose’s, but perhaps she was a bit biased.
“Kanaya, what a surprise!” Jane said, brushing a stray hair from her face. She leaned back against her desk, sighing as she tried to catch her breath. “How is Rose? And the grubs?”
“The latest batch of wigglers are fairly mischievous, but nothing we can’t handle,” Kanaya said, smiling. “It took Rose a while to adapt, but now she’s so comfortable handling them you would think she is secretly a jade blood.”
Jane smiled almost wistfully. “Wouldn’t that be such a cool twist for a mystery book?” she said, casting a longing glance at a novel relegated to the corner of the desk, a bookmark barely three pages deep.
Kanaya offered her a comforting smile. “I take it you have not had enough time to read lately?”
Jane nodded. “I love running CrockerCorp, it’s quite literally a dream come true! But call me a fuddy–duddy, I just wish the holidays weren’t so busy and commercialized. I barely have time for myself anymore.”
“Speaking of the holidays,” Kanaya said slowly. A little bit of prying wouldn’t hurt, right. “Are you spending the day with anyone special?”
Jane smiled brightly, a dimple in her cheek. “Nope! I mean, I did meet up with Dirk, Jake, Roxy and Callie for lunch, but no romance this year. I used to dream about spending Valentine’s with Jake, but now, well, I’m just glad to be with my friends!” She paused, turning pink. “This is going to sound absolutely rude of me and I know it, but are you here to chat, or do you need something? I love your company, but today is incredibly busy, and—”
“Actually,” Kanaya said, smiling. “I was hoping for a favor. CrockerCorp has a confectionary department, correct?”
“Yep,” Jane said proudly, folding her arms with a cheery smile. “It’s the third biggest department, behind cooking products and technology. I perfected every recipe personally.”
Of course. CrockerCorp had a department for almost everything. Cookbooks, computers, vehicles, musical instruments, toilet brushes, underwear, even movies. But it was the cooking and the technology that everyone really lauded the company for.
“That’s excellent,” Kanaya said. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Most stores are sold out, so I was hoping I could purchase some straight from you to give to Rose.”
Jane frowned, straightening up. “Oh, golly Kanaya. I really hate to say this, but I kinda can’t do that. We barely made enough chocolates to meet the promised quota, and we’ve had delivery issues. Even if there is any chocolate still in our warehouses, it’s practically as good as sold to grocers and restaurants.”
Why was she not surprised? “That’s alright,” Kanaya said, sighing. “I suppose I'll just go find something—”
“Actually!” Jane suddenly lit up, bouncing in place so excitedly her glasses nearly came off. “I might have something!” She turned around, digging through her piles of paper and gadgets. Eventually, she found a small box wrapped in silver paper. She’d barely popped open the lid before Kanaya was hit with the rich, deep smell of cocoa, rippled with hints of vanilla, and something that smelled vaguely like almonds.
“I bake myself snacks for work, and today I made truffles! I already ate two or three, but there still should be more than enough left,” Jane said eagerly, pushing the box into Kanaya’s hands. “And they’re fresher than storebought too! Here, take them.”
Kanaya nearly melted in relief. “What can I do to repay you?” She said thankfully, clutching the box to her chest.
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Jane said, waving the question off with a giggle. “I make snacks like that all the time. I’m just glad I can help a friend. I’m so—”
She was cut off by the sound of her phone ringing. Sighing, Jane picked it up. “Bye Kanaya,” she whispered, covering the mouthpiece with her hand. “Have a happy Valentine’s Day!”
It had been a long day, but it had ultimately been a success. She had all the elements for a classic Valentine’s day, and now that the sun was setting, she could get home and show Rose the affection she deserved. It was a bit disappointing that they wouldn’t get to spend the whole day with each other, but at least they’d be together now.
Kanaya almost tripped over Dirk.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there,” Kanaya said, quickly, taking a few steps back. “You’re Dave’s brother, correct?”
He glanced up, offering a brisk nod. “Yeah. Well, sort of, anyway,” he said. “You’re Kanaya, right?”
“Yes,” Kanaya said, adjusting the box of truffles under her arms. “What are you doing sitting in the middle of the streets? Somehow I doubt you were also unaware of Valentine’s day.”
Dirk adjusted his shades, shrugging. “Yeah, yeah, I know it’s Valentine’s Day. Don’t remind me,” he mumbled.
Kanaya paused, sitting down on the curb next to him. “It seems to me you’re distressed,” she pried. “Any friend of Rose’s biological relative is a friend of mine. Can I offer my assistance? Or at least a listening ear?”
“Seriously, it’s nothing,” Dirk said. Ah, of course. He was a Strider, and therefore, emotionally constipated. Perhaps she had to take a more direct approach.
“You seem quite frustrated. I can only presume due to your behavior it’s in no small part due to the holiday today, though I suppose I could be wrong. Then again, it could be the day itself, rather than the actual holiday, and—” she was rambling again, wasn’t she? It made her feel sad to not have Rose here to reign her in.
Dirk sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Listen, it’s no big deal. It’s just that I spent last Valentine’s with Jake, and it was incredible, and now this year it's... different, and that's weird. It’s my problem, you can just go home to your wife and make-out or whatever.”
Kanaya crossed her legs, watching him carefully. “You still have feelings for him then?”
“Look, I dunno, I just saw him when everyone got together for lunch today and it reminded me how crappy I feel when I'm alone. But he’s doing really well for himself, and I don’t wanna pressure him into getting back together, and moving on is really hard. And I'm not alone all the time, y'know? I just keep thinking about how great it was last year and I’m just kinda fucking bitter,” he said, kicking a rock absently.
What was she supposed to say? Sure she’d felt the sting of loneliness before when she'd lived on Alternia, but now she was happily married. Didn’t that sort of cheapen her advice?
“I think," she began slowly, trying to work out an approach, “It’s not wrong for you to miss a prior relationship. But whether or not you rekindle a romance or find a new one... today happens. I think you should go home and do something that makes you happy.” Kanaya hesitated. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out the box of truffles and offered it to him. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Dirk tried to refuse the gift. Several times actually. But if you worked in the brooding caverns, you had to learn how to be stubborn. Eventually, he said an awkward goodbye and flew home.
There was no chance of getting replacement chocolates. Especially not this late. But she still had the roses and the love song. It wouldn’t be as perfect as she had hoped, but she could still show Rose her love anyway, right?
“Kanaya! Kanaya! Oh, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
Kanaya turned around, watching in surprise as a familiar cherub sprinted down the street after her.
Panting for breath, Calliope finally caught up, staring at Kanaya with tears in her eyes. “I need your advice,” they said quickly. They straightened up, wiping at their tear-streaked scales quickly.
“Is something the matter?” Kanaya asked, resting a hand on Calliope’s shoulder. “How can I help?”
Calliope took a shaky deep breath, fiddling anxiously with their bowtie. “Honestly, I don’t quite know. I’ve spent the last month trying to come up with the perfect Valentine’s day. Roxy makes me so very happy and I needed something to show her my appreciation, but every idea I had fell through or didn’t work and by the time I gave up and tried to do something simple, everything was sold out.”
Kanaya bit her lip, tightening her hold on the bouquet of roses. “I’m sure Roxy would understand if you explained your dilemma.”
Wiping at their eyes, Callie shook their head. “I know she would understand. But she’s done so much for me. For so long she was my closest friend, and even before we started dating she’s been so kind to me and helped me so much. I wish there was something I could do, so I was hoping you might have advice.”
Kanaya sighed. “Jade has roses, but I doubt either of us could make it to her home before it’s too late at night. Just. . . give these to Roxy,” she said, holding her bouquet out in front of her stiffly.
Calliope’s eyes widened, but after a moment, they shook their head. “That’s so very kind of you Miss Kanaya, but I can’t accept. Aren’t they a gift for your Rose?”
“I will not be accepting no as your answer,” Kanaya said, pushing them into Calliope’s clawed hands. “I still have a song to give to her. Regardless, Roxy is our family, and therefore, you are highly important to us as well. Now it’s quite late, I’d recommend you get home while it’s still light out.”
“I cannot take these–”
Kanaya gently started pushing Calliope away. “You can and you will. Come on now Calliope, I know as a fact that Roxy will want to see you as badly as you want to see her.”
Calliope stumbled back, giving Kanaya a grateful, dewy-eyed smile. “Thank you, thank you so much—I swear I’ll repay you, somehow!”
Kanaya sighed, holding the sheet music close to her chest. “Goodbye Calliope,” she called, turning away. She wasn’t far from home. Certainly, her gifts had been whittled down from three to one, but at least she still had something to give to Rose.
She had nothing to give to Rose.
Kanaya’s hands shook as she stared at the sheet music, slowly sinking deeper into the mud puddle. She’d been so close to home she’d started running, barely able to contain her excitement. Then she’d tripped over a stone hidden in the grass, dropped the papers, and, well, that was all.
She fished the sheet music out of the mud puddle, trying in vain to wipe it clean. Where the paper wasn’t stained, the ink ran, melting the chords and lyrics into an unreadable mess.
Why hadn’t she made another copy? Or walked more carefully? Why couldn’t she have just made it home safely to show Rose how much she loved her?
Maybe this stupid human holiday was cursed. Or maybe Kanaya was. It didn’t matter because now she had nothing. Not a single flower or chocolate. Crumpling up the muddy paper, Kanaya sighed and pushed open the sturdy oak door of their home.
The house was dim. Dirty dishes sat in the sink, and a fresh vase of scrawny lilacs sat on the windowsill. There was no sign of Rose, and the house was quiet.
Kanaya threw the ruined sheet music in the rubbish bin, running her hands tiredly through her hair. She leaned back against the wall, taking in a deep breath as if the familiar air of home could ease her heartache.
“You were gone all day Kanaya.” And then there was Rose, dressed in her loose-fitting nightclothes, standing in the hallway. Kanaya almost shied away as she walked over, but Rose slipped her hand into Kanaya’s, a soft warm touch, gentle against her skin.
Kanaya bit her lip, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “I’m so, so very sorry,” she said. “I’d never heard of Valentine’s Day until this morning, so I spent all day trying to find everything to give you a perfect classic human Valentine’s Day. It took so much searching and cajoling, but I managed to get my hands on roses and chocolates and even a love song for you. I wanted so badly to do everything right, to prove how much you mean to me and how much I care. But I ruined it all and lost everything, and I never meant to—”
“Kanaya,” Rose said. She stood up on her tiptoes, kissing Kanaya’s nose gently. “You’re rambling again.”
She squeezed Rose’s hands lightly, trying not to choke up. “I’m so sorry Rose. I truly wish I were a better wife to you.”
Still holding hands, Rose gently lead Kanaya back down the hall, tracing her thumb lightly across the back of Kanaya’s hand. “That’s ridiculous. I couldn’t ask for anyone to love more. You don’t need a grand romantic gesture to prove your love for me. You’ve proven it every day we’ve been together in little, wonderful ways,” she said softly. "When you let me sleep in even though you need the help, or when you look up recipes from Earth to cook for me, or even just the way you look at me, I feel it, Kanaya."
“You’re not upset?” Kanaya asked softly.
Rose leaned up against their bedroom door, a mischievous smile escaping across her lips. “Not at all, though I suppose that might make me a bit. . . hypocritical,” she confessed, slipping a hand beneath Kanaya’s shirt, gently caressing her side. “I do have a bit of a gift for you.”
Kanaya giggled, pressing her forehead lightly against Rose’s. “You know you don’t need a grand romantic gesture to prove your love for me, Rose,” she teased.
Smiling like the cat who’d caught the canary, Rose pushed their bedroom door open behind her.
Candles sat on every surface, barely lighting the dim room. The soft smell of lilacs hung in the air like a soft mist. Kanaya’s bedclothes were carefully laid out on the bedside table. The window was shut, and the curtains were carefully drawn. Alone, on the center of the bed, was a shiny lone bucket.
"Oh," Kanaya said breathily, the blood running to her cheeks. She shivered when Rose nuzzled into the crook of her neck, feeling a thrill of anticipation run through her as she looked down and met those eyes, those lilac eyes full of mischief and affection.
"'Against my love, shall be as I now,'" Rose whispered, her hand tracing gently up Kanaya's side, standing on the tips of her toes to meet her gaze. "With Time's injurious hand crushed and o'erworn, my sweet love's beauty through my lover's life, her beauty in these dark lines be seen, and they shall live, and her in them, still green.'" She closed the narrow distance between them, a chaste brush of their lips together, a warm and affectionate invitation for more.
"Oh," Kanaya said again. It wasn't much, but on an existential field, perhaps it showed that she was real, that she was there.
And perhaps, perhaps for love that was enough.