3:
"Flowers! Why didn't I think this before?" Woody said as he sat by the bookshelf. He was holding red tissue paper and folding it into petals.
Buzz was sitting with him. "It was a good idea! Hey pass me more of that green velvet wire would you?"
"They're called pipe cleaners, Dingus!" Woody picked one up and bopped Buzz on the head before handing it to him.
"Whatever."
I'd really love to get her some real flowers, thought Woody as he tried to attach the petals to the pipe cleaner. But it's too cold outside. Besides, this'll never wilt!
He sat back to examine his work. It was a little crumpled and lopsided, but it would do. After all, it'd taken him a half hour just to make one.
"What do think Buzz? Do you think I should just give her the one? Or do you think I should make about five or six?" He turned to look at him. "Oh for the love of…"
Buzz was humming his theme song as he wrapped white tissue paper around a dozen perfect paper roses. He fastened it with a satin yellow ribbon. "I think she'd probably be happy with just the one but if you think she should get more then go for it." He looked at Woody's rose. "Good job! So…where's the rest of them? Why are you crushing your rose? What are you…" Woody threw the destroyed flower at Buzz's head. "Hey!"
The Cowboy slumped. "I am never, ever going to find Bo the perfect Valentine's present! It's hopeless!"
"Well yeah, if you keep destroying your gifts…" Woody gave him a look. The bedroom door opened. Bo's sheep scurried inside followed by Bo and Jessie.
"Oh no, it's too late!" Woody whispered. The two women saw their sweethearts by the shelves and went to join them.
Bo gave the Cowboy a kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day, Honey."
"Yee-hah!" Shouted Jessie, leaping over to Buzz. She picked him up and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek. "MMM-WAH!"
As she put him back on the floor, Buzz took her hand. "C'mon, I wanna show you your gifts!"
"Yay!" Jessie cheered as the two ran off. "Presents for me!"
Bo smiled almost shyly at Woody as she handed him a heart shaped valentine. It was red and had lace around the edges. She had decorated it with glitter as well, but unlike Woody's valentine, it was even and unclumped. Under the glitter a poem was included in the middle. Woody read it aloud:
"'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.'"
"It's by Elizabeth Barrett Browning," said Bo, blushing a little. "I found it in a book of poems a few months ago and it reminded me of you."
Woody's heart sank. There was no way he could give her his pathetic little card now. "It's…it's beautiful," he said. "Thank you."
Bo smiled. Woody knew that she was waiting for her return Valentine. He sighed deeply. "Look Bo…"
"Yes?"
"I-I…I didn't make you a Valentine this year."
Bo's smile faltered. "You didn't?"
I can't tell her the truth. That everything I did turned out to be a disaster! "I've just been busy," he lied. "And I couldn't find the time to…to…I'm sorry Bo. I really am."
"I understand," Bo said flatly. "It's all right. Maybe next year."
As she turned to go, Woody hung his head. What a rotten boyfriend he was. And what a rotten Valentine's Day it had turned out to be.
