I started this story last year during Valentine's Day hoping I'd finish it this year. Luckily I did.

I struggle trying to pull my vest over my collared shirt, before popping my head out the other side. Why do these things always have to be so tight?

Running my hands over my sweater, I look back at my appearance in the mirror. Perfect.

I stand there a few seconds longer before throwing all my other options back in the closet.

Walking over to my side table, I add the finishing touches to my card and sign my name in red crayon at the bottom. Shoving my Valentine in my backpack, I sling it over my shoulder and hurry downstairs.

"There you are. You better hurry, Bud, you don't want to miss the bus."

I slide past my dad tying his tie at the front door and run into the kitchen where my mom is fixing my sisters hair bow.

"Whoa, don't you look dashing." My mom reaches out to smooth down my gelled hair. "Easy on the hair products, next time."

Erica giggles in her chair "Jack is in love."

My mom gasps as I try to push Erica out of her seat in order to shut her up.

"Love? Who stole my little boys heart?" My mom gasps

"Molly."

Erica has the biggest mouth!

"Shut up! I do not love her!" I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep the tears from falling.

"Hey." My dad scolds before I have a chance to rip up my card, "Jack, it's okay if you like somebody." He assures me, moving to help me put my lunch in my backpack "Just try not to go to second base on the first date."

"Second base?" I question, then realize he is talking about P.E. now. "We aren't playing kickball today. Mr. Kirby said we get to play Sharks and Minnows inside."

"Chandler..." I watch as my mom gives my dad a look.

It's quiet for a little longer before we hear the horn of the bus outside.

"That's your ride." My mom quickly makes sure we have everything and shoves us out into the chilly air. "I love you, have a great Valentine's Day!"

I turn and wave back just in time to find my dad wrap his arms around my mom and bring her back inside.

Taking a big step, I climb on the bus and follow Erica a few seats in, before we sit down together.

Throwing my backpack on the ground, I continue to hold onto my card.

"Did you remember your Valentines?" I ask Erica, hoping she did or we'd have to open all my Power Ranger ones and scribble her name next to mine.

"Yeah." She smiles "I love Valentine's Day. Everyone is so nice and happy today." She swings her legs back and forth. Neither one of us is tall enough to touch the floor yet. "When do you think we will be able to pass out our cards?"

"I don't know." I finger the red paper in my hands. "Maybe we can right after attendance."

But we didn't get to after attendance. We didn't even get to after lunch. I was growing impatient. It wasn't until P.E., when I was watching Erica get tagged by the shark, that I ran up to Molly.

She looks over at me "Hi, Jack!" She smiles which make me smile back.

"Hi, Molly."

We stand there in silence for a while before I built the courage to ask her what I've been wanting to all day.

"Do you like me, Molly?"

She looks over at me. "Yeah." She nods "You're really funny and you're always nice to me when we play dodge-ball. We are like best friends."

I smile, relieved. "Would you like to be my Valentine, then? I have a card-" I point in the direction of my bag.

"I'm sorry, Jack, but Timmy already asked me."

My smile falls as Erica runs up and tags me "You're a shark now, Jacky." I watch as Molly runs away before she becomes Erica's next victim.

I look over at my sister, sad and angry. I don't push her, although I want to, I don't yell at her, although I could. Before I have the chance to do anything, the tears well up and my lip quivers as I run to the bathroom. I shut the door to the last stall, sit in the corner and hug my knees. I bury my head in my lap, while I let the tears drop. I hate Valentine's Day! I hate girls and I hate love. Everything about this holiday is stupid!

"Jack?"

I hear Erica's voice from outside the stall. I didn't even hear anyone come in the bathroom.

"Jack, are you okay?"

I sniffle softly "Go away Erica."

It's quiet, but I know she is still out there.

"This is the boys bathroom, you can't be in here."

"I don't care."

I hear her walk over to the door. Lifting my face, I wait for her to crawl underneath. But she doesn't. Instead, she sits down and continues to talk to me.

"Did Molly like your card?"

I sniffle again. "I didn't give it to her." I tell her, fingering the little hole forming on my kneecap.

"Why not?"

"Timmy gave her a card first." I sigh, the tears no longer falling.

She doesn't say anything for a while, we just sit there in silence.

"Timmy smells like dog poop."

I chuckle, feeling a little bit better.

"Timmy's dad is a doctor." I point out

"Well, our dad is a superhero." She counters "Remember when he would play Superman with us and fly us around the house-"

"Fear not, Super-dad is here." We laugh

A few seconds later I'm unlocking the stall door. "Thanks, Eri."

She shrugs "You know, if Molly won't be your Valentine, I will."

I crinkle my nose. "You can't be my Valentine, you're my sister."

"So, it's not like we have to date or anything. It just means that if you don't have a partner, I'll be your partner."

I smile, "You'll always be my partner?"

She reaches down and takes my hand. "Always."

Erica stuck to her word that day and all the years that followed. When I went through my first breakup, she was there to cheer me up. Then when my girlfriend broke my heart in high school, she bought me roses and took me to the movies. Funny, I felt like I should have been the one to buy her flowers and take her out. But the one night I'll never forget was right before I was set to ask the love of my life to marry me. She was by my side trying to calm my nerves.

Then finally, on my wedding day, as I was fixing my bow-tie in the mirror, I found Erica walking up behind me.

"Hey, Jacky." She smiles softly.

Turning around, I shake my head. "Can you believe I'm actually getting married, today?"

Her eyes widen. "And to Molly!"

"Full circle, ha?"

"Do you remember in second grade when you asked her out and she said no?"

I nod, thinking back on all those years. "Yeah. I keep thinking, what would have happened if I asked her before Timmy?"

"You probably wouldn't be standing here today."

I nod again. "Maybe not."

She tilts her head "But we wouldn't be as close as we are now." She tells me. "For years, I stood by your side, watching girl after girl break your heart. Do you know how much I spent on roses?" We both laugh.

"You were always my plus one."

"Yeah, but now you have a better plus one. Someone who loves you."

The tears well up as I realize we will never be each others date on Valentine's Day, anymore.

I sniffle the tears away before they have a chance to fall. "Hey, I got something for you." I pat my chest before I realize I left it in my coat. Reaching over, I find the small box and hand it to Erica.

She smiles as she opens the lid to find a small heart shape locket inside. "Jack..." She mutters

"Turn it over."

She does, reading the engraved letters on the back. "Partners for Life." The tears form in her eyes and before I get choked up too, I pull an identical one out of my collared shirt.

Opening it up, I reveal a tiny photo of us in second grade, arms around each others necks, eating mom's freshly baked Valentine's Day cookies.

I quickly grab the digital camera on the nightstand. "And now..." I reach over, my arm around her shoulders, the other stretching the camera out in front of us. I click the button before looking back at the photo we just took. "Now we can fill the empty slot."

"I don't know what to say."

I smile slightly, "Just tell Timmy that he has some pretty big shoes to fill. I make a pretty good date."

Erica laughs, wiping away the tears that fell.

"Oh, he already knows." She smiles "Now get your coat on, it's time for you to marry your Valentine."

Grabbing my coat, I slipped it on and checked my appearance one final time. I love Valentine's Day, I love the girls in my life and I'll always remember the day my sister and I got in so much trouble during P.E. when we both walked out of the boys bathroom.

However, that small moment that we shared, with the stall door between us, changed every Valentine's Day in my life and forever gave me someone to love.