Valentine's Day

Mai inhaled the smell of roasted coffee as she entered the cafe. Glancing around the tables, she recognised no one, and so joined the queue.

She bought herself a pot of tea — with two cups — and carried the tray to a table by the window. Conscious of being by herself, she pulled her school planner out and looked at the homework she had on for that evening. They had just had mock exams at school and the teachers had seen the post-exam period as the best time to dump extra homework on them.

"Maths, French, English…" she mumbled as she ran her finger down the page. She glanced at the door. "Perhaps I could do the maths homework before…"

She pulled out the worksheet from her bag and poured herself some tea. Mai began working through the algebra. Every now and then, she looked up. Every time she heard the door open, she looked up. Every time she heard someone order tea, she looked up…

When she ran out of algebra, she checked her phone and frowned.

"Perhaps an after school club…?"

Before that thought could go any further, an alert on her phone caught her attention.

MASAKO: Has he turned up yet?

Mai chewed her lip.

MAI: I think he must have had an after school club.

MASAKO: Or the was fake. OR he got cold feet. Either way, you deserve better.

MAI: Maybe…?

She grabbed the red envelope from her bag and slipped the card out. She ignored the design on the front, it was generic and pink. The inside is what held her interest.

Dear Mai,

Happy Valentine's Day

Please meet me at the cafe after school.

Love,

Your valentine

The penmanship was familiar, but was she just being hopeful to believe it was his? She admired the words from different angles, as if that would yield the secret of her admirer. It did not.

MAI: I have tea left in the pot, so I'll do my French homework while I drink it. If he hasn't turned up by then, then I'll go home.

MASAKO: I reserve the right to say I told you so.

Mai read the message and put her phone away, along with the card. She swapped the maths worksheet for her french textbook and began reviewing the pluperfect tense.


Gene shut the front door behind him and kicked off his shoes.

"Mum?" he called. "Mum, where are you?"

There was no reply, not that that stopped him. He dumped his school bag on the dining room table and sauntered into the kitchen.

"Mum! You'll never guess what I did today!"

He opened the fridge and examined the contents. Evidently unhappy with what he found, he resorted to the cupboard, where he found a packet of chocolate digestives.

"Perfect," he said as he helped himself to several biscuits. "Mum, I finally set up those two idiots," he continued, now with a mouth full of biscuit.

Still getting no reply, Gene headed for the living room.

"Mum, did you hear me? I finally set up those two—" He did a double take. "Noll? What are you doing at home?"

"I live here?" Oliver replied from the sofa. "Where else would I be? Luella went to the shop, by the way, said we're out of milk."

"Why aren't you at the cafe?"

"Why would I be—"

Gene gripped at his hair.

"She's going to be there all alone! How could you stand her up?!"

"You're making no sense."

"I'm making no sense?! You're the one watching reruns or countdown instead of being at a cafe with the love of your life!"

"I repeat, you're making no sense."

"You got your card, right? In your locker?"

Oliver frowned.

"The prank one?"

"It wasn't a prank! It was from Mai!"

"No it wasn't, her handwriting is different."

"It was close enough!"

"She writes her 'y's differently, she does them loopy because she thinks it looks elegant and fancy. But your comment confirms it was fake."

"Fine, yes it was fake, but I sent her one with your handwriting."

"Your attempts at my handwriting are poor—"

"Is she going to know that?"

Oliver finally began to look concerned.

"Let me get this straight," he said. " You faked cards from both of us, to get us to meet at a cafe under the guise of a romantic liaison?"

"Yes! Because you both like each other and it's painful! But now she's going to be there alone and—"

"Thinking I've stood her up."

"Please don't be cross—"

Oliver stood up and brushed past his brother.

"Noll, please, I was trying to help!"

Before Gene could beg forgiveness any further, the front door opened and Luella walked in.

"Mother, I need a lift to town immediately."

"Noll? I've just got back, let me put the milk away—"

"Gene will do that. I need to rectify a mistake he made and the bus will take too long."

"Mistake? What are you talking about?"

"He told someone I would meet up with them without telling me. If I don't go, they will be upset with me."

"Surely they'll will understand if you message them and—"

"Mum! It's Mai!" Gene interrupted, mouth still full of biscuit.

Luella's demeanour changed in an instant.

"Oliver, go and put something nice on, you have two minutes. Eugene, help me unload the shopping."


The car door shut behind her son and Luella breathed a sigh of relief. She could see Mai through the cafe window from where she had parked up. The young woman was reading a textbook of some kind. They had made it in time.

She sighed at Gene's interference. Of course Oliver would think it was a prank.

She watched as Oliver walked over to Mai, wiping his hands on his jeans and evidently apologising. Mai's face passed through phases of confusion to amusement and finally something like happiness.

Oliver gestured towards the door and Mai nodded, smiling as much as she was blushing.

Luella's shoulders relaxed. She had given Oliver some money to take Mai for dinner, a far more suitable first date in her opinion than a cafe. But, she supposed, Gene had more limited resources.

A jingle from her phone signalled the arrival of a message.

GENE: Did you make it?!

LUELLA: Yes, they're leaving the cafe now, by the looks of it, they're heading towards the Italian place. I can't see much further down the road though.

GENE: But are they together?

LUELLA: Uncertain, but I'm sure Noll will tell us in his own time.

GENE: In his own time?! Are you kidding? I need to know now! I have a bet to win with Yasuhara!

Luella rolled her eyes, dumped her phone back in the centre console and put the car in gear. She trusted Oliver not to screw this up. At least, she could when his brother wasn't interfering.

She had to drive down the street that Oliver and Mai had walked down, and as she passed them, she noticed intertwined hands.

Luella smiled. Yes, that'd do nicely.


Author's note: Is this several days late? YES. Did I write this on Sunday and just not have time to upload it until now? ALSO YES.

Big thank you to RobinEmrys for talking through story ideas!