Happy Valentine Day to Elsie by Heather Davies

A short story from Heather Davies of Formby Writers Group

Happy Valentine Day to Elsie....

Elsie watched as the postman walked past her front door. It was Valentine’s Day – he should have stopped and posted a card through her letterbox. Tears came down her cheeks and there was sadness surrounding her for the rest of the day. For forty years she had received a card. Always a pink envelope – with the style of the card changing as the years went by.

Joe, Elsie’s husband, had grumbled about it – well maybe for the first five years, after that he would shrug his shoulders and make some comment about Elsie’s secret admirer. But, the very next day Joe would be off to the florist to buy a bouquet of flowers for Elsie.

The years passed by and initially Elsie would ponder on who was her secret admirer. But, she loved Joe and he loved her.

It was the cold winter of 2010 that was to be Joe’s last and Elsie had to learn to live without him.

The following February brought another card – a simple white card, contained in a simple white envelope. For the next two years similar cards arrived each Valentine Day.

In the year of 2014 they stopped, and Elsie sighed as daily she watched the postman step by her house.

Her son Mark, realising she needed cheering up, arrived with a bunch of yellow and white flowers. He smiled,

“These are for you” and passed the flowers over to his Mum.

“Your Dad always bought me yellow and white flowers,” and she held them close.

“Yes, I know” and her son held her close.

Elsie stepped back, “It was him wasn’t it, he sent all the cards?”

“Yes, Mum he did, he loved to see your little smile and the twinkle when you got the card.

How did you know?”

Elsie laughed, “Well, it was the year that he actually signed it, all my love Joe”. She put her hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Thank’s for sending the last three. You know, the ones in the white envelopes.”

Mark, took his Mum’s hand,

“What cards Mum, I’ve never sent you any cards!”

by Heather Davies