Lovina sat sucking on the candy for another hour or so before her work was interrupted by her phone pinging again.

Heads up- your coworkers are back. Don't forget to not overwork yourself.

The elevator doors slid open. Pretty much the whole office returned to their desks, including Elizaveta, who ran up to Lovina. "You missed the best office outing ever! I can't believe you skipped two hours of fun, Lovina!"

Lovina shook her head, still in a good mood from her time alone. "Well, I did. And I got a lot of work done, too."

Elizaveta scowled playfully, ruffling her friend's hair. "You're awfully pleasant. What happened?"

Before Lovina could decide whether or not she wanted to spill details about the mystery texter, another message popped up on the screen of her cell.

By the way, if anyone asks, don't be afraid to tell them everything. They'll probably find out soon anyway.

For some strange reason, the anonymous text bolstered Lovina's confidence, and she smirked mischeviously. Elizaveta tilted her head to the side, confused and curious.

"What? Did you not eat? Tell me you ate, Lovina, it isn't healthy not to and you-"

"I ate, okay? Don't worry about it."

"Then why do you look so guilty?"

"I don't look guilty! You're such a bitch sometimes, Lizzie."

She simply laughed. "You know you love me. Now, what happened?"

Lovina shrugged. "Well, almost as long as you've been gone, I've been getting texts from a number I don't know. And based on the messages and what I ate, the texter made me lunch."

"Really? I wish someone would do that for me! What did they make?"

"Bacalao con Tomate with Pinot Grix and flan with champagne for desert."

Elizaveta let out a sudden sqeal, a grin lighting her face. Lovina instinctively wheeled her chair as far back as possible.

"What? Why are you smiling like that?"

"Lovina, you have an admirer! They obviously want to be your Valentine! Text them back, now!"

Lovina flushed. "No, I doubt it, I-"

"Excuse me, Miss Vargas?"

Looking relieved by the interruption, Lovina turned to the mail delivery girl who had spoken. "Yes?"

"I'm supposed to deliver these."

She thrust a medium-sized package at Lovina, as well as a card and a small container of grape tomatoes. Lovina flushed slightly, muttering under her breath as Elizaveta relieved her of the package by setting it atop a stack of paperwork on Lovina's desk.

"Open it!"

Instead of obeying her, Lovina popped open the small container of tomatoes, happily eating one. "Oh, Lizzie, you've got to try these. They're delicious!"

Elizaveta scowled. "Seriously? You have this present oh-so-casually delivered to you and you're more interested in tomatoes?! Open the fucking present!"

Lovina laughed, brushing hair away from her face. She set the tomatoes down. "Cool it, okay? I'm sure it can wait until after work. It's only a Valentine's present."

Elizaveta groaned, draping herself over the partition wall as if she were melting. After Lovina shot her a withering look, she straightened up. "Come on. I'm leaving in a half hour anyway. I want to know what your secret admirer got you!"

"Then you open it. I'm working."

"Lovina."

"What?"

"You work too much."

"I do not!"

"You do too, and you know it! Lovina, I grew up with you. I know you. Ever since sometime last month or so, you've been real quiet and depressed and you get upset easier. And for two days now, you've been in a worse mood than usual. Not to mention, you refuse to abandon extra work in favor of spending time with friends, and whenever I mention Antonio, you get all tense and fussy and bitchy. I've pieced together enough to know that you two broke up, or fought, or something. You need to talk to someone, Lovina. Why cant you just tell me?" She paused, considering what she'd just said. Then, in a more gentle tone, added, "And open the present."

Lovina, true to Elizaveta's statement, sat frozen in her seat, face white. After a moment, she forced herself to reach for the present. Dragging it towards herself, she slipped a finger under a crease in the wrapping and replied, though her voice was low and mumbling. She kept her eyes locked on the package.

"I'll open the fucking present if it makes you so goddamn happy."

Elizaveta sighed. "Lovina, I'm sorry, but why-"

Lovina looked up at her suddenly, eyes flashing. "I don't tell anyone because it's my fucking business, and not theirs! They don't need to know. I can run my own damn life! Now, do you want to know what this creep gave me or not?"

"I'm getting real tired of your constant shit, Lovina. You aren't like this."

Without an answer, the Italian woman carefully pulled the wrapping off the box and glanced inside. Her face hardened more, if it were possible, and she shoved the box away, pressing a hand to her mouth. Wordlessly, Elizaveta pulled the present closer so she could peer in.

"Lovina? What's so wrong with candies and chocolates?" Lovina shook her head, as if still trying to formulate a reaction. "Lovina?" she repeated, watching her friend anxiously.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Lovina managed to croak out. She paused, trembling, then replied to herself in a beseeching tone. "Of course you don't, I never fucking told you…"

Elizaveta's eyes widened. She reached out a hand cautiously, not wanting to startle her distraught co-worker. "Lovina?"

"Do you have any fucking idea how painful this is?"

"No, not… not really…"

Elizaveta grabbed Lovina's arm and dragged her to a small break room, plopping her onto the couch. "Alright, darling, tell me everything. And I mean everything."

Lovina drew in a shuddering breath, folding her hands across her lap. After a tense moment, she sighed, trembling violently. She clenched her jaw for a moment, then spoke.

"Antonio moved to Spain a year and a half ago. But he told me he wasn't going to give me up. He visited every so often and we somehow managed a long-distance relationship. But then, around Thanksgiving, he stopped talking with me. At first, it wasn't very noticeable. We'd go a day or two without contact and that was it. But I guess it gradually became over a week, and in January, he just stopped talking completely." Lovina's voice cracked, and she paused. "I thought at first that it was something I did, and I'd made him angry. But Toni… Toni doesn't get angry. So I figure, hell, I didn't have to do anything, really, to lose him. I'm a fuck up who can't keep her life in check. Why would I be able to keep a boyfriend? I don't know why I was stupid enough to think I could." She sniffled, hiding her face with her hands, clearly fighting tears. "The twelfth was his birthday. We'd planned on spending a week together- this week. We decided that sometime in June, I think. I guess I was naïve enough to think that would work out when nothing else did. It fell through when he decided he wanted nothing more to do with me, I guess…"

Elizaveta felt tears pricking at her own eyes as she watched one fall from her friend's cheek. "Lovina… why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't tell anyone… I… I didn't want anyone to think I was a failure."

"Oh, darling, why would we think that?"

Lovina grew quiet, her voice tight, tears freely falling now. "B-because I… I can't even hold my life together, but Feli i-is living p-perfectly. If I t-told, it'd be like w-when we were k-kids, a-and everyone would start c-comparing me with her a-again! S-she was always the p-pretty one, the talented one, a-and everyone always l-liked her- always! A-and… then there's m-me…"

Elizaveta felt her heart break. She reached over to take Lovina's hand. "You're perfect how you are, darling. So why don't we get ourselves composed and head home? Bella's giving me a ride. I'm sure she'd love to bring you with us. We're going to get ready together, though if you'd like to help."

Lovina sniffed, wiping at her eyes to keep herself from crying more. "Get ready? For what?"

"…A date? God, you really have been out of it." Elizaveta laughed gently, tucking hair behind Lovina's ear. "Roderich and I are going to a concert recital, then to dinner. And Francis is taking Bella out to a five-star restaurant. It's really a beautiful place. Maybe your secret admirer will take you somewhere!"

"Why?"

"It's Valentine's Day."

"I know, but… why spend so much on one miserable night?"

The slightly older woman sighed, shaking her head. "That idiot really broke you, didn't he? God. I'll kill him if he tries anything like that again."

Lovina huffed slightly, trying to force a smile at Elizaveta's unique brand of reassurance. "Alright, alright. Just shut up already. I get it."

"Do you?"

"I do. I caught your telepathic messages. I have to go home early and I'm not allowed to do any sort of work until tomorrow."

Elizaveta scowled. "Monday."

"What?"

"No work until Monday. I'm not allowing you in this office tomorrow, we're closed on the weekend, and if I catch you doing paperwork, I'll burn it. No working until Monday, Lovina. I forbid it."

"Well what am I supposed to do?"

Elizaveta raised an eyebrow, looking her in the eye. "Uh, fun? You've been overworking yourself for at least a month. Watch a movie, make some pizza, eat some chocolate, paint your nails, take a bubble bath. I don't know! Just pamper yourself and have fun."

"But that's all annoyingly girly."

"So? You've got chocolate, you've got candy. There's nice snacks right there. You're Italian, you can make a wonderful pizza, and I have no doubt that you've got some pretty good movies at home. Bubble bath as well. I've seen it."

"I don't want the chocolates."

"Why not?"

"Toni used to buy them for me. That exact kind. It was one of the only things he'd buy me regularly, even though they're hard to find. They're from Spain. Every time he came back, he'd bring them."

Elizaveta fell silent as they walked back to their desks. "Try forgetting him. At least for a couple minutes, so you can eat in peace."

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen."

"What'll happen?" asked Bella, bouncing up beside the pair as they gathered their things. Her short blonde hair was pulled back in a tiny bun, bag slung over one shoulder.

Elizaveta was the one to reply. "That Lovina will forget about her former lover long enough to eat delicious chocolates that bring up memories."

Bella winced. "Oh, that bad? It gets better, Lovina, trust me. My first boyfriend was a complete ass, but my second… I got real upset over that breakup. Then for a while, I just ran through the guys, just looking for company. Oh, but there was one guy, I'll spare you details, but… he wrecked me. Then I met Francis! See, gets better."

Lovina ignored them, shaking her head. She shoved her things into a briefcase, closing the box full of candies. She checked her phone, surprised to see a message waiting from her so-called 'admirer'.

I hope you like the present. I'm terribly sorry if it brings up any memories… But please, don't throw it out. I know you love this chocolate. Or… used to.

"Lovina? Earth to Lovina! Are you even listening to us?"

"No, I'm not." Gathering the box into the crook of her arm, Lovina shrugged hair off her shoulder. "Everyone ready?"

Bella grinned. "Always. Let's go. It's already almost five, and Francis is picking me up at six thirty! I've got to look perfect."

Elizaveta grabbed their hands. "Then hurry your asses up!"

As the trio stepped out of the elevator on the ground floor, they were flagged down by the secretary. She reached under her desk, pulling out a bouquet of flowers. "These were left for Miss Vargas." Elizaveta whispered something in Bella's ear, and both girls giggled. Lovina shot them a glare, taking the flowers with her free hand.

"Who sent them?"

"I don't know, I'm sorry. It was a delivery man. He said they were anonymous."

"Right. Thanks anyway."

Lovina joined the two at the door, where Bella grinned. The three women headed out to the parking lot. "So, Lovina, what kind of flowers are they?"

Lovina stayed silent for a moment, a small smile gracing her lips as she admired the bouquet. Even so, her eyes were filled with pain. "Red carnations. The idiot used to buy them for me. They'd appear in my apartment all the time…"

Her two friends exchanged looks, then shrugged. Bella unlocked the car, and Lovina slid into the backseat, clutching the flowers tightly.