A Valentine Promise

By Joan Leotta--The gorgeous black-haired, olive-skinned guy in my night school econ class approached my desk. He had often offered to give me a ride back to my apartment, saving me a walk in the dark

It seemed that every person in the checkout line with me—ahead and behind— had heart-shaped boxes and bouquets! To be fair, my cart held a card, flowers, and a small box of candy as well. But mine were for the older lady who lived in an apartment across the hall. I was taking her out to dinner on Valentine’s day at her favorite little neighborhood café.

At first she had been reluctant to accept an invitation from me for THAT day. “Won’t one of your beaus want to take you out?” I assured her I had no beau at the moment, so we were safe, and she accepted.

Just two days after we had set our appointment, the gorgeous black-haired, olive-skinned guy in my night school econ class approached my desk. He had often offered to give me a ride back to my apartment, saving me a walk in the dark from the graduate school rented space in Downtown DC to my humble abode. But tonight, after offering to give me a ride, he stuttered a bit and then asked, “I know it may seem strange for a first date, tomorrow being Valentine’s day and all, but would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow night?”

My heart leaped. So, he did have more than a brotherly protective interest in me! Then I remembered. I looked in those deep dark eyes of his and, oh, how I wanted to say yes, but instead, I told him the truth. “I can’t.”

He looked down. “Oh, of course. You already have a date.”

“Well, it’s a different sort of date. I’m taking the older lady across the hall from me out to her favorite restaurant. I promised her already and …”

He jerked his head up. “And you don’t want to break a promise?”

“Right.” I sighed. Great, now I’d lost my one chance to go out with Jess, the boy whose good looks and sharp intelligence had been tugging at my heart since the beginning of the term.

“You know, I only live a few blocks from you. Could you call me when you get back from your dinner with your friend and let me bring something over to you? I can meet you in the lobby of your building.”

“Sure. Probably be about nine or ten o’clock. Miss Ranahan is 80, so she does not like to stay out late. Would that be ok?”

Jess took my phone, punched in his contact, and handed it back. “Sounds great.”

Miss Ranahan and I had a lovely Irish dinner at the café around the corner and took a cab back to our apartment building. Over dinner I told Miss R about the young man from my grad school econ class.

When we got back, I took her to her door, went into my apartment and punched in the number Jess had given me. I had purchased a card for him—spent so much time searching for just the right one—not too mushy, not too “friendsy.”

When he walked through the doors into the lobby of my building, my heart fluttered but there was also a lump heading for the pit of my stomach. I’d missed my chance. He probably also had a card. We woud be friends now, just friends, I was sure. But he didn’t just hand me a card. He had a heart-shaped box of chocolates for me from my favorite candy store. “I asked your friend Lillian. She told me chocolate caramels from Fannie Farmer Chocolates are your favorite.”

I handed him my card. Before I could say anything he spoke again. “Are you free tomorrow night? Or Saturday? Or does your neighbor have those days booked too?”

I started to laugh. He didn’t hold my refusal against me. The next night, we went to dinner in a nice place, don’t recall the name of it—it was likely a lot less crowded than it had been on Valentine’s Day.

After we ordered, he reached across the table and took my hand. “It’s not every day I meet someone who keeps her promises even when its not convenient. That means a lot to me, “ he said. I had found someone who believed as I did about commitment!

We got married the following Valentine’s Day. Miss R was a happy attendee. Tonight we will celebrate our fortieth anniversary.

🩷🩷🩷

Joan Leotta

Author, Story Performer

“Encouraging words through Pen and Performance”

Folk, Fairy, and Personal Tales of friendship, kindness, food, family, and strong women.

Now also Presenting Author visits by Louisa May Alcott

As writer, Nominated for Pushcart, Best of Net, Best of Micro fiction, Western Peacemaker Award

Awardee in Presswomen, Robert Frost, Silver Arts, Dancing Poetry

"Feathers on Stone" poetry chapbook available from me and at

https://mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/feathers-on-stone-joan-leotta/