I’ve never been much of a romantic. I’m not sure why. I appreciate romance. My favorite movies tend to be rom-coms. I like flowers and chocolates and hearts.
But I think deep down I’m too practical for big romantic gestures. I love all the details that go into a big, fancy wedding, but I’d never pay for one myself.
And flowers on Valentine’s Day? No way. Too expensive. Pick me some wild ones or grab an inexpensive bouquet of in-season flowers on any old day for no particular reason at all. But not on Valentine’s Day. That’s just silly.
Thankfully, the wonderful man in my life who loves me more than anything feels the same way. He’ll never buy me flowers because he’d rather we appreciate them where they grow. And lucky me, we have a lovely start to a rose garden in our very own yard. So, really, he gives me the gift of flowers every day.
We also spend this time of year talking about our un-Valentine’s Day. No gifts. No flowers. We demonstrate our love for each other each and every day. So, on Valentine’s Day, we do whatever we feel like in that moment. No big plans. No pressure. Just an everyday expression of love.
Now, don’t get me wrong: If you go in for the kind of big-gesture show of romance I eschew, I say enjoy. To each their own. Some people expect that kind of thing. Some people love planning that kind of thing. Do what makes you happy. Because isn’t that what love is supposed to be about in the first place?
And since we’re talking expressing our love…here’s a little token of love from us here at WMG: From now until Sunday, download “Just Shoot Me Now: A Poker Boy Story” by Dean Wesley Smith for free here and enjoy a not-so-typical Valentine’s Day offering.
And as an added bonus, check out Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s Free Fiction Monday here to read “After the Wedding,” which is part of the Happily Ever Afters Uncollected Anthology.
Here’s hoping you experience whatever expressions of love you most desire this week…even if it’s just to be left alone and enjoy some great fiction.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer.