"Friday's Child is Loving and Giving" Avelina Marcella Rohani sat up contemplating the day before February 14th. This would be her very first Valentine's Day where she actually had somebody to exchange gifts with, and it was Ethan, so it had to matter. They were nearing their one-year anniversary together as a couple, and even though she couldn't afford much, she wanted to outdo herself. Last time they exchanged matching rings; this time it would have to be something more intimate. But things weren't so easy: the two had fought and argued earlier that morning, making things slightly more difficult. Avelina loved Ethan with all her heart in spite of the fighting, and wanted to do something sweet even if they had some friction to overcome. She briefly toyed with the idea of calling her few friends and asking their advice, but that would be ludicrous. Kula just didn't seem to be the romantic type, and Vai, bless her, was in a fit of depression and had yelled at Avelina for no apparent reason. She later apologized and said it was "the stupid holiday affecting me", which Avelina could attest to. The only person she could probably count on was Farrah, but...perhaps that street was a little too unwise for her to cross. Farrah and Tristan had broken up again, but this time, it looked to be permanent. The next day, her mind split itself between standard morning practices (e.g., bathing, eating, minimal effort to appear pleasant) and thinking. She honestly had no ideas, except for something dinky, maybe a night out, some time spent in front of a fire (not that either of the lovers had a fireplace to begin with)... Inexperience cursed her. She was beginning to grow irritated with herself and let her anger resurface. She considered asking her parents, but only mom would be able to give her ideas, and she was doing laundry. "Your one year anniversary?" she said once Avelina explained things. "Isn't that a little later?" "Yeah, but Valentine's is near too. I kind of want to mesh the two together." "Oh, like you did with Christmas, New Year's, and that girl's birthday?" "Yeah, I guess. So what did you give dad for your one-year anniversary?" "Well Avi, your father and I weren't keen on gifts until we were married. We usually just did special things for each other when we were dating. As for the gifts we exchanged during our marriage, well...I don't think you're at that level yet." Her daughter grinned. "Oh, so it's that kind of present." And her mother returned it flawlessly. "Don't you have a bus to catch, dear?" "I thought you were driving me." "Sitting on a bus won't hurt you. I'm too busy right now. Can't Ethan take you?" "We fought, mom. We're letting each other cool off." "Oh dear." She sighed and stopped folding clothes long enough to touch the younger girl's shoulder and look at her in a matronly fashion. "Avelina, I know you two have your down moments, but you shouldn't let that interfere with...oh, wait, maybe I shouldn't say anything. Yes, I can see you're in no mood for my empty answers." "Not really," she admitted. Mrs. Rohani nodded numbly, then her face suddenly flickered to life. "I got an idea! Why don't you call Ethan and tell him how much you love him? That would be a great gift, and it might help soothe that argument you had." "You think it'll work?" "It should." Avelina had to admit that it sounded nice. With just a few minutes to spare, she ran over to the closest phone, dialed Ethan's cell phone number (having memorized it by heart), and waited two rings. "Mr. Nikholai speaking," came his Russian-accented voice. Avelina quivered. "H-honey? It's me. Um...I just wanna say...that I love you...and I'm sorry we fought...and I really wanna spend tonight with you...and...every night of my life! Um...oh, wait, uh, I mean...oh, gosh, sorry." The pause was excruciating. Then Ethan laughed warmly. "I love you too, sweet one. I'm sorry too. I just...you know, sometimes we just clash and do not stick. We bounce off and feel ourselves being hurt again, don't we? Well next time we meet, I'd like to stick, so at least we'd be together, even if we do fall." Avelina couldn't speak because of the overwhelming happiness. She merely gushed and thanked him. "Oh gosh, I gotta run," she blurted, checking her watch. "But listen, I'll call you when your shift's up. Maybe we can do something nice today. I'll give you a preview: the best gift will have blue wrapping and a beautiful white bow." She grinned, knowing how hard he must've blushed, and hung up with a squeal. She knew that Ethan loved her wearing blue and white more than any other color, thus the implicated innuendo. ...... I was always alone, always the alien, always the one that people steered away from. I guess it was my good fortune to also be a pilgrim, wandering from place to place, never spending a long time at any home. I was cast out everywhere I went, seen as some weird girl, ignored and uncared for. Do I complain? Of course. This loneliness drove me sick, literally sick, and I hated myself and all the pain I was forced to endure. My family was constantly on the move, from country to country first, then from city to city once we settled in America. When you stay in one place for only three months before moving on, it affects your psyche dangerously. So why should I care about anything? My appearance? So what? People will see me as the same no matter how good I look. My social standing? When you barely have time to unpack before you're asked to move again, you can't have friends. Maybe I wanted to die; then I would be stationary, then I would keep myself for all of time. I sure did think about it at times. Hope kept me alive, though, hope that one day I could settle down, grow some moss, find true love and not be seen as some strange creature. I've heard many stories where these things do happen—misery before gaiety—and until very recently, I'd never think they would happen to me. Was it really fate that brought me here, through that crucible, so I could be rewarded with this sublime degree of happiness? It's a nice concept to think of—we were "meant" for something—and it's not a slap in the face to any religion. After all, don't many people think that "God has a plan for us all"? Would fate then be that plan? When I met Ethan and fell in love, it seemed as if all my hardships had been worth it. Of course at first, I was scared and insecure, feeling worthless as always. I was afraid to lose him: you would be too, if you fell in love and dreaded parting from said love. Aside from Brazil, my birthplace, and Portugal, my father's home, I've never spent more than a year in one location. But now I have Stanton to break that "record", and I have Ethan here, present and physical, to assure me I am loved. That we both have handicaps (I with dichromatism, his with his bad leg) only makes it sweeter; we can truly relate to each other. I couldn't help but cry to myself later on that day, as I journeyed to my next class. I had to take a few minutes from my walk to visit a bathroom, and wept briefly, though I was aflame with happiness. Suddenly I knew precisely what I could give Ethan for Valentine's Day, and our anniversary, and he would thank me for it and love me all the more. I wanted to leave school, embrace him, and show him what I had in store right at that moment, but I was hindered by my obligations as a student. Going back to class, to face dull teachers and a dull homework assignment, was perhaps the hardest thing I've done since walking up to Vai (and Kula, and Farrah, and that other girl) and making friends. Sad to say, though, I was plenty distracted. I even had to get the homework assignment from somebody else, my head was so deeply nestled in the clouds. I guess it was love. We're all victims of it at some point or another. ...... Ethan kissed Avelina's face, and mouth, and hands when they met. Actually, he spent more time ogling her than he did actually kissing her, but hey, she didn't complain! It was rare for her to dress up, look good, and care about impressing people, which might've made her look even more beautiful in the long run. The flower that blooms the least is loved the most; few pay attention to the ones that show their glory daily. After they spent some time talking and making up for their fight, Avelina grabbed Ethan by his hand and pulled him to her mother's car, begging him to get in. She then put a blindfold over him and told him not to take it off until she gave the word. "You two ready?" asked Mrs. Rohani, who was in on the whole thing. Avelina beamed and squeezed her boyfriend's hand. "Yessum. Now don't peek, dear." He smiled. "I won't." The suspense bubbled and turned steamy. The last time he and Avelina had played with blindfolds...well, perhaps it wasn't appropriate to bring that memory out just yet. Avelina thought it beautifully ironic that it was she, dichromatic and all, who led Ethan out of the car and nearer to their destination. He figured they were in a wide open area because of the chilly wind, but aside from a few common smells, he couldn't determine anything. Avelina was of course grinning and nearly hopping with glee; she was waiting for just the right moment to reveal her gift. Finally, after taking a few "steps of faith", she let him stand still and unfolded the cloth. "Surprise!" Ethan was more puzzled than ecstatic at first. Before him was a kind of air field, dotted with helicopters and landing pads. A large sign greeted visitors, screaming in bold black words... "'H-H? Helicopters for the Handicapped'... Uh..." "It's a special program I heard about when I first came here," she explained. "They basically have these special machines that let disabled people fly and maneuver helicopters. They even have a special course if you want to learn how to do it professionally. The first lesson's free!" Ethan suddenly realized how wonderful this gift really was—what it meant to him, and how thoughtful she was—and actually started to cry. He sniffled and reached out to give Avelina the biggest, tightest hug he could make, thanking her again and again. Before he had a chance to really embarrass himself, Ethan limped over to the main office, greeted several of the pilots, and inquired about lessons. Within the hour, he was flying. Ethan Petrov Nikholai was really flying! It would probably take him the rest of his life to absorb just how loving and giving his girlfriend had been that day.
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