As I was planning the surprise for Valentine’s Day, I was reminded of that one year when I understood the power of love and real bonding. My parents always believe in the power of meaningful gestures to express their love. They know to love each other extraordinarily. I remember this one year when Dad bought our house. The crunch of wealth made him keep away from the usual grandeur. They couldn’t go for their trip to Paris but Dad still made it memorable!

Mom was back from work with a bouquet of roses. Both Liz and I knew it was for Dad. “Where is he?” She asked. Both of us handed her the note that Dad had instructed us to simply hand her over. Mom opened the note that read: “Follow the path of love.” She smiled and did that.

Intrigued, she followed a trail of rose petals and handwritten notes. Each note shared a cherished memory or a sweet sentiment, building anticipation with every step. As she went in, she saw that their bedroom was lit with candles. There he was, my dad waiting with a bouquet and smile. There was a cake kept on the stool.

Overjoyed, the adorable couple hugged each other. “This is exactly how you had proposed to me years back! I can’t believe you recreated this again!” My mom expressed.

“Well, I did! I wanted to let you know that I love you more each day and feel grateful to have you in my life. Next time I promise we will be celebrating in Paris! Happy Valentine’s Day” He said hugging her even tighter.

“With you, every day feels special! Couldn’t have asked for more!” She replied.

Liz and I watched The Love Birds. Then we cut the cake together with them. “They are cute!” We agreed and clicked a picture in our old camera. That was followed by a dinner that was cooked specially by Dad for mom. Simple yet grand in its way- they did know how to love each other.

Both of them hugged us after dinner and reminded us that we must always let our loved ones know how much they mean to us. Believe it or not, even at this age, they still make each other blush and feel out of the world! That Valentine’s Day, we discovered that the greatest gift of all was the love we share, and the memories we create to keep it etched in our hearts forever.