Valentine Hero

Ben arrived home from work, tired and ready to take a break. It had been a long day. Besides that, it was Valentine’s Day, and he looked forward to enjoying a quiet evening with his wife, Tanya. They had been married just under a year, and this would be their first Valentine’s Day being married.

When he came in, Tanya was waiting for him. “Honey, what would you think about giving a Valentine to someone?”

There was nothing that she could have said that would have shocked him more. They had no children yet; his mother had passed away, and there was just no one else he could think of to whom he would give a Valentine.

Ben thought he must be thinking too much into it. “Is this for you to give or for me?”

Tanya smiled. “For you to give to another female.”

Now Ben was perplexed. Tanya could be a bit of a tease. Maybe that was it.

“Okay, what’s up?” Ben asked.

“It would be for Lilly,” Tanya replied.

“Our next-door neighbor, Lilly?”

Tanya smiled and nodded. “She came home from kindergarten today, and I could tell she was sad. So I asked her about it. She said the children gave each other Valentines, but no one gave her one. Since she is a bit autistic, the other children often tease her or leave her out.”

“But why would she want a Valentine from me?” Ben asked.

“Why? Because you’re her hero.”

“Her hero?” Ben questioned. “Why would I be her hero?”

“Remember how you let her come over and hold a baby chick and pet the baby calf when we got them last spring?” Tanya asked. “Do you remember getting her the toy bear when she was sick? Or how about the special treat you took her on her birthday?”

“I do those things because Ted is on assignment overseas with the military,” Ben replied. “He’s my friend, and the least I can do is to be there for his daughter while he’s gone. That doesn’t make me a hero.”

“It does to a little girl,” Tanya replied. “Don’t you see how she seeks you out at church? And when you kneel down and talk to her, her little face lights up.”

“What should I do?” Ben asked.

“Would it be too much to ask you to return to town and get her a Valentine’s card?” Tanya asked. “I could come with you if you want.”

“Oh, no,” Ben replied. “I don’t want anyone thinking I’m one of those guys who forgot his wife on Valentine’s Day and had to grab a card at the last minute. I will sneak in and sneak out.”

Ben went back to town to the store. When he got there, the Valentine’s aisle was full of people. There would be no sneaking in and out, but he thought of Lilly and went right into the midst of the fray. He got a cute card with a kitten on it. But then he saw some sweet marshmallow hearts and had to get them, too.

As he made his way to the checkout, he saw a colorful unicorn. He remembered Lilly liked unicorns, so he grabbed it. Then, once he got to the register, there were flowers. Lilly loved flowers, so he grabbed one. In fact, it was a lily. By the time he checked out, he had forgotten about his embarrassment.

When he got home, he told Tanya he would feel better if she went with him to help deliver everything. Lilly’s mother smiled when she answered the door. She called Lilly. Ben knelt and presented the gifts to her.

When Lilly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, Ben decided it felt good knowing he was a little girl’s hero.