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She wobbled a little on her step-stool, her arms fully extended overhead to hang a garland of felt hearts over the front window of the shop. She caught herself with a hand to the glass just before she toppled off the stool and onto the front display she had all but finished. Vel laughed to herself before reaching up again and, this time, successfully pinning the garland to the wall.
“Vel Sartha. What the fuck are you doing?”
Vel grimaced before schooling her features and turning to face Bix, whose arrival the bell hanging over the front door had just announced.
Vel smiled down, trying her best not to look guilty, and said, “Hi. Happy Galentine’s Day!”
Bix, bump just starting to show, was standing with her hand on her hips and looking expectantly up at Vel.“What. Are. You. Doing?”
“I was just getting a head start,” Vel began while she clambered off the step stool, “and I thought the hearts might look nice in the window.”
“Vel,” Bix said, quirking an eyebrow, “Remember the last time you used a ladder without supervision?”
With her feet back on solid ground, Vel grumbled something unintelligible.
She had, in fact, fallen off the step-stool when she was putting up the Christmas lights in the front of the shop last year and had to, rather humiliatingly, wait for Bix to drive her to A&E to have her shoulder put back in its socket.
“Should I call Kleya and see what she thinks?” Bix said smartly.
Vel shot her a look, “You wouldn’t.”
“Tattle on you to your girlfriend? Oh, I think I owe you one for calling Cassian and telling him I was planning to walk to work this morning.”
“It's supposed to start snowing any moment! What if you slipped on the ice or something!” Vel exclaimed as she pinned up the last of the rainbow ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ banner across the checkout counter.
“Oh, so I can’t risk slipping on ice, but you can risk falling off a ladder?” Bix shot back, bending down to pick up the now-empty box of Valentine’s Day decorations that Vel had hung up around their store, Bix’s Bookshop and Vel’s Volumes.
“First of all, I’m not pregnant!” Vel said as she strode to meet Bix where she stood and took the box from Bix’s hands, “And second, it’s a step-stool.”
Bix rolled her eyes and shook her head at Vel’s theatrics. “Oh, come on, Vel. The box is empty, I can carry an empty box! I’m not made of glass!”
Since learning Bix and Cassian were expecting their first child, Vel had been reluctant to allow Bix to do any kind of physical labour in the store. Much to Bix’s chagrin.
“I know you’re not.” Vel said fondly, “But I love you and don’t want you taking any risks. Now, how exactly is my girl doing today?” Vel directed her question to the hand Bix had resting on her stomach.
Bix softened a bit and rubbed her stomach. “She’s kicking the shit out of my ribs this morning.”
“She’s just wishing you a happy Galentine’s Day,” Vel said cheekily, and turned to go and toss the empty box into the storage room, to deal with at a later date and time.
Bix walked back to the front door and flipped the sign from closed to open. “Will we be seeing your Valentine today?”
Vel grinned over shoulder, “She’s still sleeping upstairs. She’ll probably be down soon.”
“Don’t look so smug,” Bix chided, bumping Vel’s shoulder affectionately as they met back by the checkout counter.
“I’m not smug,” Vel said, while looking particularly smug. She picked up the steaming coffee she’d left on the checkout counter while she decorated the shop and took a sip.
“Just in love, then?” Bix said with a smirk.
Vel choked on her coffee. She sputtered out in a whisper-yell, “Keep your voice down! I said she’s just upstairs!”
“So I take it you haven’t told her?” Bix said, brushing past Vel and taking a seat behind the register.
“Planning to give it a go tomorrow night, as long as no one spills the beans!”
“On Valentine’s Day, huh? How very you.” Bix teased.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Vel exclaimed, still opting to whisper and glancing at the door that Kleya could come down any moment.
“Nothing, nothing. You just love a holiday,” Bix said, and Vel fought the urge to fight back. It was, however, painfully true. She did love a holiday.
“Is it too much, do you think?” Vel asked her best friend nervously.
Bix smiled fondly and placed a hand on Vel’s shoulder, “No. It’s just right. It’s you.”
Vel let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “Thank god. I’ve got it all planned out.”
Bix actually squealed a little bit and whispered conspiratorially, “Tell me everything.”
💘💘💘
Kleya clambered down the rickety old stairs from Vel’s flat above the shop, balancing two mugs of coffee in each hand while holding onto her laptop under her arm.
She carefully made her way through the storeroom, books strewn all about, and no less than three of Vel’s abandoned coffee mugs scattered on various surfaces.
She pushed open the door to enter the shop and was stopped in her tracks at what she saw.
The front window of the bookshop was absolutely exploding with Valentine’s Day decorations. There were several mismatched garlands of felt and knit hearts crisscrossing the window. One large garland read “Happy Valentine’s Day,” the other “Happy Galentine’s Day,” and a third rainbow lettering read “For the Girls, Gays, and Theys.”
The front table just below the window had been swapped out to display romance books, cards, and other trinkets. There was a bucket of flower bouquets just in front of the register, made of red and pink roses accented with baby’s breath and eucalyptus. How cliche.
Kleya was so surprised by the display that she failed to notice Vel and Bix suddenly stopped a hushed conversation, or Vel’s deer-in-headlights look, before Bix gave her a small kick to the shin.
“Morning!” Vel coughed and choked out.
“Morning,” Kleya responded, tearing her eyes away from the sickly-sweet display that had invaded the best bookshop in town. Not that she was biased. “Been a bit busy this morning, have we?”
“All Vel,” Bix cut it before Vel could respond, “She was on the ladder by herself again when I turned up.”
“Bix!”
“What?” Bix said with a smirk, “And Happy Galentine’s Day, Kleya.”
“Tattle tale.”
Kleya laughed, and deposited her laptop in a chair by the fire before walking to meet Vel and Bix at the checkout counter.
“For me?” Vel asked and reached for the second cup of coffee Kleya held.
“Uh uh,” Kleya tsked, holding the mug away from Vel and instead handing the coffee over to Bix, “For my Galentine, who practices ladder safety.”
Vel guffawed, and Bix beamed.
“Thanks, love,” Bix said, accepting the mug and shooting Vel a gleeful smirk.
“Fuck’s sake, it’s a step-stool!” Vel grumbled and pouted to Kleya.
Kleya kissed her cheek and said, “Stop trying to hurt yourself, please. Now,” she added, turning to the front display, “What’s all this, then?”
“It’s Valentine’s Day, of course,” Vel said, as if that explained the explosion of hearts.
“Vel takes Valentine’s Day very seriously,” Bix added over her coffee mug.
Kleya blinked. She looked back and forth between the display and Vel’s clearly proud smile. It’s not that Kleya didn’t like getting flowers on Valentine’s Day any less than the next girl, but the boom pop commodification of the holiday gave Kleya pause. She raised her eyebrow and took a sip of her coffee for strength.
“I see,” was all she could manage at this level of caffeination.
Vel just laughed and pulled Kleya in by the waist. “Not a big fan?”
Kleya had never been a big fan, per se. The card and the candy and the pressure of fancy dinner reservations had always struck her as performative.
“Dunno. I haven’t really done the whole big Valentine’s Day before. The holiday strikes me as a conspiracy by Hallmark to sell cards,” Kleya said sardonically.
As if to illustrate her point, Kleya pointed at the display of colorful Valentine’s Day cards that Vel had set up just this morning.
Before Vel could properly stage a protest, a gaggle of the town wine moms walked into the shop and beamed straight for the Valentine’s Day display.
Bix stood up and said, just to Kleya and Vel, “I got it. I’ll leave you two to chat.” Bix got up and asked if the women needed help finding anything.
Vel let go of Kleya’s waist and went to take Bix’s spot at the register. Kleya took another sip of her coffee and considered what to say next, but Vel cut in before she got the chance.
“I was hoping to take you somewhere special tomorrow night,” Vel said in what Kleya could tell was a feigned casual tone. “But, you know, only if you want.”
Kleya softened. “Of course. I’d love that, Vel. Where to?”
Vel looked up at her, beaming. “It’s a surprise.”
“Oh?” Kleya didn’t particularly like surprises, nor did she really like Valentine’s Day, but if anyone was going to change her mind, it was going to be Vel Sartha.
Love will do that, she supposed. She’d known she was in love with Vel since she had handed Vel the missing puzzle piece in her book collection back on Christmas Eve. Maybe even sooner, if she were honest. She hadn’t told Vel yet, though. Kleya worried it was too much, too soon. Especially when this was Vel’s first relationship since she’d lost Cinta. So, Kleya had been biting her tongue and holding it back.
That was becoming harder each day. As it was now, when Vel was grinning at her like that, with her stupid, cute beanie on.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Does round 6 work?” Vel asked.
“Sure. What should I wear?”
“I don’t think you need my guidance on that. But pack an overnight bag.”
Kleya laughed, “Awful presumptuous, don’t you think?”
“It’ll be a long drive home if we don’t stay the night,” Vel winked.
“Fine. I’ll allow it.”
One of the women looked like she was ready to check out, so Kleya moved to get out of the way. “I’m going to write for a bit and then head home. I have a meeting this afternoon with Draven about my latest draft. And I need to get some things done before this snowstorm hits.”
“Sounds good. Give Chop a scratch for me.” Vel said to Kleya before addressing the woman who had taken Kleya’s place in front of the register, “Good morning and Happy Galentine’s Day. Ready to check out?”
Kleya shook her head with a smile. That’s her Vel, alright. It turns out, her love for holidays extended beyond Christmas.
Kleya made herself comfortable in an armchair by the fireplace and opened up her computer.
With a few clicks, she pulled up the draft of her book. She didn’t have a title yet. But it was about grief and finding the places to put your love when you no longer have the person to show it to.
She looked up at the woman she undoubtedly was in love with, who was doing more to heal her broken heart than anything she could put into words, and tried her best to.
💘💘💘
“Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.” Vel said into the phone as she paced in the shop and watched the snow fall out the front window.
“It really is coming down already, isn't it?” Kleya said on the other side of the call.
“I knew it was going to snow, but bloody hell, not this much.”
It had been snowing for the better part of the morning, and already outside sat about 8 inches of snow. The sleepy town looked like a winter wonderland straight out of a Dickens story. But Vel could not appreciate the beauty right now. Now, she had to figure out a way for them to drive an hour and a half to the fancy restaurant and bed and breakfast that she’d booked for them in Salisbury, and a tour of Stonehenge the next morning. They were supposed to have a romantic evening that warranted Vel saying I love you for the first time, for god's sake.
“I’ve lived here for years, and I’ve never seen this much snow. Fuck!” Vel repeated.
“The weather report on the telly says the roads are a mess all around town,” Kleya said.
“I’m so sorry, Kleya. I just dunno what to do. I don’t think we’ll be able to get where we’re supposed to go.” Vel plopped down onto the chair by the fire and put her head in her hands.
“It’s okay, baby, it’s fine. You can’t control the weather,” Vel could hear the smile in Kleya’s voice, “We can have a special night here. I’ll feed Chopper and head your way?”
“Yeah, alright,” Vel said grumpily. “Do you wanna just bring him? He can be a shop cat until the snow clears.”
“Oh, he cannot be a shop cat. His dearest ambition is to knock over the most fragile item in any room he’s ever been in. I’ll leave extra food out for him, and we can trudge through the snow tomorrow afternoon to check on him.”
Vel laughed, “Alright, sure.”
“Chin up. I’ll be there soon,” and Kleya hung up.
Vel was very glad Kleya ended the call, because she said out loud before she could stop herself. “Be safe. I love you.”
💘💘💘
Later, after they scraped together a very romantic meal indeed, consisting of combining two half-open boxes of mismatched fusilli and bow tie pasta and whatever vegetables Vel had in the fridge, the two of them settled onto the couch with glasses of wine in hand.
Vel had already gotten the fireplace roaring, the crackling embers providing ambient noise as the snow continued falling outside the window. Artoo was snoozing quietly in his bed by the fire, clearly happy to make use of the warmth the hearth provided.
Cozying up with Vel and Artoo on the couch with a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other sounded like Kleya's dream evening. Add on a snowstorm roaring outside, and she was in heaven.
But Vel was absolutely sulking.
That wouldn’t do.
Kleya took a sip of her wine and set it down on the coffee table. She got up and examined Vel’s record collection. She could feel Vel’s eyes on her as she scanned the options. She selected Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors.
She carefully removed the record from the sleeve. Lifting the cover from the record player, delicately placing the record onto side A, she lowered the needle gently and turned the volume up just a touch louder than their usual reading background level.
As the music started to play, Kleya turned and extended her hand to where Vel was seated on the couch. “Dance with me?”
Vel looked surprised but smiled and took Kleya’s hand all the same.
“I’m shit at dancing.”
“That’s okay. It doesn’t make dancing any less fun,” Kleya assured, kissing Vel’s hand and pulling her close.
“We’ll check back in in a few minutes and see how you feel after I’ve stepped on your toes a couple of times,” Vel joked.
Vel had a habit of making self-deprecating jokes. Kleya was trying to break it. Trying to remind Vel that she was worth more than that. To her. To their friends. To everyone who came across the kind soul that was Vel Sartha.
“Considering we’ve just got socks on, I don’t think that will bother me.” Kleya wrapped her hands around Vel’s neck and started to sway. “Besides. There’s no one I’d rather have stepping on my toes than you.”
Vel smiled, soft and just for her.
It took all of Kleya’s strength to hold back the three words on the tip of her tongue when Vel looked at her like that. Kleya, instead, tucked her head into Vel’s shoulder as they swayed along to the music. Vel didn’t say anything back. She just held Kleya close and moved along with her.
“Do you want to tell me about where we were supposed to go tonight?” Kleya ventured after a comfortable silence.
Vel groaned and lied, “It was nothing special.”
“I doubt that. But, want to tell me about it anyway?”
“We were meant to stay at a posh little bed and breakfast in Salisbury tonight.” Vel did indeed step on Kleya’s toe as she continued, “And then go and see Stonehenge tomorrow morning.”
Kleya couldn’t help the smile that broke out on her face. She pulled back to look in Vel's blue and shiny eyes. Their slow dance came to a slow stop.
“That sounds more than special, Vel. Thank you for planning all that for us.”
“Course,” Vel said. “I called the B&B, and they said we can rebook another date. So, at least there’s that.”
“Good. Because you are definitely taking me to Stonehenge.”
Vel smiled and replied, “Promise,” and sealed it with a kiss. “Thought it might be good fodder for your next book.”
Kleya considered and laughed, “You know. It just might.”
The song changed, and to her surprise, Vel gripped Kleya’s hips a little firmer and restarted their slow dance. Kleya thought she might die if Vel did one more sweet thing.
“Vel,” Kleya decided to go on the offensive to avoid saying something too big and too real, “I packed an overnight bag, still, you know.”
“Oh?” Vel said, interest piqued.
Kleya just hummed and placed a kiss on Vel’s neck, making her wait.
“I brought something special, you know, for the holiday and all.”
Ve’s hands on her hips tightened a bit, and then she started backing Kleya towards her bedroom, where Kleya had deposited her overnight bag earlier.
“I thought you didn’t care much,” Vel placed a few kisses along Kleya’s jawline before finishing, “for Valentine’s Day?”
“So, there’s this terribly annoying bookshop owner who keeps changing my mind about silly little holidays.”
Vel laughed and, with a surprising display of strength for such a tiny person, picked Kleya up by her hips. Kleya gasped in surprise and wrapped her legs around Vel’s waist on instinct.
The snow was piling up out the window. The wind howling off the sea. Plans cancelled and restaurants empty. But here, inside Vel’s apartment—with a slowly dying fire in the hearth and a forgotten record left playing in the background—none of that mattered.
💘💘💘
When Vel awoke the next morning, she was dismayed to find herself alone in her bed. Kleya—not usually one to be up before her, especially when it was this cold—was not in her usual spot curled up next to Vel. The bed was cold in the spot where she usually lay. Even Artoo—whom Vel usually had to drag out of bed in the winter with promises of food and a warm jumper—was nowhere to be found.
Vel panicked for a moment, allowing her anxiety to convince her that Kleya had left without waking her, before she heard the muffled sound of music coming from the kitchen and smelled the sweet aroma of coffee brewing.
With a sigh of relief, Vel threw back the covers and set about getting dressed.
The scene she found upon walking into her kitchen was not one that she was expecting.
The table was set with two placemats, plates, and cutlery already laid out. At the center of the table was a bouquet of sunflowers surrounded by a bottle of maple syrup, a bowl of berries, and a plate with slices of apple. Stretching across the kitchen window was one of the colorful Valentine’s Day banners from the shop, accented with hearts and arrows and rainbows. In the corner of the room was a gaudy, even by her standards, set of heart-shaped balloons.
Most importantly, her girlfriend was standing in front of the hob with a spatula in hand. She was wearing one of Vel’s jumpers and was humming along to the record spinning in the living room. She didn’t appear to notice Vel’s arrival as she flipped a pancake in the pan in front of her. Artoo sat at her feet, looking up in hopes of getting a bite.
Vel closed the distance, slipped her arms around Kleya’s waist, and tugged her close.
Kleya jumped a little in surprise before she relaxed into the touch. “Ugh, you’re not supposed to be up yet.”
Vel laughed and replied, “Well, good morning to you, too.”
Kleya set the spatula down and turned in Vel’s arms. “Good morning,” she said with a kiss.
“What’s all this? I thought…I thought you didn’t really care for Valentine’s Day?”
“I don’t, but you do. And I care about you.” Kleya said, as though it was the simplest thing in the world.
“I… Kleya,” Vel started. She decided to turn to logistics to avoid the words she wanted so badly to say. “How did you get all of this? It’s got to be a mess out there?”
“I just put on my snow boots and walked to the shop,” Kleya smiled, “as for the banners, well, I left a few bills for you under the checkout counter.”
“You went out in the snow??” Vel exclaimed, “And brought back all this?”
“The balloons were a bit troublesome on the way back, I’ll admit, but I’m nothing if not committed to the cause.”
“On Valentine’s Day too?” Vel said, so unbelievably happy, “I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“It’s the day after Valentine’s Day,” Kleya deadpanned.
Before Vel could stop herself, she said, “I love you.”
Kleya’s eyes went wide for a moment, searching her gaze as though making sure Vel knew what she said and meant it.
Vel found herself to be strangely calm, a shy smile breaking on her face. She meant it, and she didn’t want to hide it any longer. Grand gestures be planned and damned.
Kleya’s shy smile matched hers, and before Vel could assure her that she didn’t have to respond right away, Kleya said, “I love you, too.” She laughed a little before adding, “Of course, Vel, I love you too.”
Kleya grabbed Vel by the back of her head and pulled her in for a searing kiss. Vel smiled against Kleya’s lips, triumphant, happy, and in love.
The moment was interrupted as the smoke alarm started, a pancake now forgotten, turning black on the pan.
Kleya shrieked and turned around, grabbing the spatula and quickly removing the burnt pancake and depositing it on the plate already stacked with perfectly cooked pancakes.
Kleya looked back at Vel in dismay, stifling her laughter in her hand. “Sorry, sorry. But to be fair, you distracted me.”
Vel laughed as she reached for a dish towel to fan the smoke alarm. “It’s alright. Artoo can have that one.” She tossed the towel on the counter once the alarm stopped blearing and made to tug Kleya in for another kiss.
“Uh uh,” Kleya said, playful shoving Vel’s hands away. “Go and sit at the table. I’ll grab your coffee.”
Vel smiled and did as she was told.
As she waited patiently for Kleya to sit down for the Valentine’s Day-After brunch, Vel was already dreaming about spending the next Valentine’s Day with the woman who had stolen her heart.
💘💘💘