AT THE VALENTINE'S DANCE! FEBRUARY 14, 1860 |
| Javier looked at Lilly as she came down the steps. She looked like an
angel. He recognized the snow-white floor length dress from his father’s store, but
she made it come to life. With every step she took, the dress swayed and swooshed, as if
it was dancing with her. He wanted to be that dress. "Thanks for waiting for me," she said as he helped her with her coat. He wanted to tell her he’d wait forever for her. "Oh, it’s no problem." She turned to him, and smiled. "You look very handsome," she said, fixing his tie. She loved looking into his eyes. They were like endless pools of chocolate. Javier cursed himself for blushing. "Thank you," he replied. "You’re very beautiful." For the first time in a long time, she enjoyed hearing a voice that was truthful. "Thank you. Shall we go?" Lilly took his arm, and left for the dance. Valentine’s Day was never anything special for her, except for today. She was finally spending time with someone she liked and who liked her back. The dance was already crowded when they arrived. It seemed that everyone in Dreamville was there. "Would you like something to drink?" Javier asked as they watched the festivities. "Um, sure." She answered. While he was gone, Lilly’s eyes fell on the riders from the Pony Express. They were nice, polite, and the one called Cody always had a joke or said something that made her smile when they came into the restaurant. "Here you go," Javier said, handing her a glass of punch. Lilly smiled. "Thank you." "How’re you settling in?" He asked, trying to make conversation and hoping not to sound stupid. She turned to him, focusing all her attention on the man who seemed so nervous. "I love Dreamville," she said, not telling him exactly why. "Everyone has made me feel so welcome here." As he went to say something, the band began to play. "Would you like to dance?" They asked each other. Lilly smiled and for Javier, the world stood still. He took her delicate hand in his and led her to the dance floor. The feel of her waist under his hand made him aware of how real this night actually was. All during the dance, they made small talk, not revealing too much about themselves. As Javier walked her back home, he reached into his pocket. "I’ve got somethin’ for you," he announced, handing her a small heart shaped box. "Javier, I didn’t get you anything." He smiled. "That’s alright." He wanted to tell her that by agreeing to go with him, she’d given him the best gift she ever could. Lilly opened the box to reveal a white velvet lily stickpin. Immediately, she put it on her coat. "It’s beautiful." "Like you," he replied. Lilly felt her cheeks blush. Something she hadn’t done in a long time. Without thinking, she softly kissed his lips. For a moment, neither of them said anything, unsure where to go from that point. "Well," Javier said as they reached her house. "I really had a nice time." Lilly smiled. "Me too." She walked up the steps, and tuned back to him. "Javier," she called. He turned, his dark hair blowing in the wind. "Yeah." "Thank you." He smiled, his brown eyes twinkling. "For what?" "For making this a Valentine’s Day I’ll remember for a long time." He looked down at the frozen Dreamville ground, then back to her. "You’re welcome." |