So, here’s what really happened when I surprised my boyfriend, Shane, on Valentine’s Day.
I find myself wide awake at the ripe hour of 3:41 am. Sure, I have a 4:45 am alarm set, but I am far too excited to sleep another hour. Or maybe delirious is a better word…
At 4:20 am, I hear my mom scream, “What time did you even get up?!!!!” Whoops. She is pissed that I am going to be driving in a zombie-like state, not to mention that I am making a racket getting my things together at such an ungodly hour, but she will get over it. I must embark on my journey! For love! I lie and I say I woke up at 4. I'm sorry Momma.
I head to Speedway, coffee(s) in hand and pop(s) in my center console. I realize that I have been driving on E for nearly 5 miles, and send up a quick prayer. By the grace of God, I make it, pump my gas, and hop on the freeway. I listen to my favorite song, Big, Big Plans by Chris Lane, crying tears of joy, overwhelmed with excitement.
I check Shane’s location, but it is not updating! Where is he! He better be in his room.
In the car, I decide I will knock on his door instead of surprising him at the cafeteria. This seems like the safest bet. For all I know, he could be long gone, anywhere! Dang it, technology. Now is NOT the time to fail me. No. Positive thoughts only. He has to be in his dorm. He was on duty just last night!
I finish the two and a half hour drive, get a parking pass, and head towards the dorm. My palms are sweating profusely as I knock *one-two-three* on his door. I hear a moan, and then a groan-like protest. He thinks I am a resident! Yessss!
The door cracks open, oh so slowly, and I see my boyfriend’s squinty, angry eyes. They slowly turn from upset, to confused, to elated. He says, in his I-just-woke-up voice, “Megan? Megan?”
I step inside, and give him the biggest hug I can muster. For the next five minutes, he just repeats my name, followed by a question mark. "Megan?" Finally, he says, “I can’t believe this, Megan.” We laugh as he pretends to pinch me, making sure I am real.
The rest of the day, we share meals, share dessert (this is actually a big deal for us, we only have dessert on special occasions), share laughs, and most importantly, share love. We spend quite a bit of time studying, working on homework, and going to class (Zoom for me, in person for him), but it doesn't matter. All that matters is that, on the day of lovers, we are together. Together is my favorite place to be, and I am so happy that I was able to shock him silly. Here’s to many more successful surprises and grand gestures.