She touched the little box in her pocket and smiled.  Jon was always sending her after the craziest little things to keep her amused.  Last week it was an adventure that led her to a bouquet of fabric roses, this week, who knows.  The box was small, not elegantly packaged, but the look didn’t sway her thoughts.  She knew he was always coming up with some way to shock her, she was positive this little box contained nothing more than a clue to something even bigger.  She walked briskly across the paved sidewalk near the open water, knowing it was only moments until she’d get to embrace this amazing man…

Such a clever man, her Jon, carefully hiding this box inside her robe pocket as he slipped off to work.  He knew her routine never changed; she’d slip out of bed, cover her soft body with the fluffy pink robe that hung from a hook in their bathroom, and head to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of the coffee he set to brew before he walked out the door.

On this particular morning she took her time getting out of bed, stretching her arms above her head and rubbing the sleepy seeds from her eyes.  She paused as she walked past the full length mirror, taking a moment to soak in her appearance.  She didn’t know what he saw in her; pale skin, a little too much around her midsection and thighs, stretch marks…but she promised herself a long time ago she wouldn’t dwell on that type of negative thinking.  Shaking her head at herself, she walked into the bathroom and reached for her robe.  It felt heavy to her as she slipped it across her back and onto her left arm.  A smile played across her face as it dawned on her.  She slipped her hand into the pocket and pulled out her prize.

She examined the package; plain brown paper closed with twine, about the size of a ring box, but she knew better.  She looked for his elegant script, but just as she had expected, there was none.  Jon wasn’t shy about expressing his feelings, and there wasn’t nearly enough space on this parcel for him.  She knew better than to open it, he always left her a little note to go along with her treats and with wild eyes, she skipped into the kitchen to find the note she knew he had left; folded in half in front of her coffee mug.

“Lucy, my beautiful queen, you amaze me and impress me each day with your unconditional love and devotion.  If I could wrap the world I would give it all to you, but consider this to be as close as I can get for now.  Meet me at our special place at 4 pm, I’m getting off work early.  No peeking.  - Jon”

He sure knew just how to make her heart flutter and frustrate her at the same time.  Like a little girl, she held the box up to her ear and shook it, hearing nothing.  She placed it in front of her nose and smelled it, and only got the earthy scent of the twine.  A quick glace at the clock made her realize that her day was going to drag on, 4:00 felt days away from the 7:20 that was staring back at her.  Though it drove her crazy, she knew it would be worth the wait…(more to come…)