Valentines Day 💝 post:

Happy Valentine’s Day 💝! Time to munch on some chocolates and settle in for a read. Usually, I don’t write much in the romance genre but for the sake of the holiday. I busted out this story and I had so much fun writing it that I might dabble in romance some more. 

Dear Reader

By: Lili Lang

Dear Readers,

I’ve always believed in love. I’ve always looked forward to my own happily ever after however cliche that may sound.  So while I wait and wish. I’ve written stories about it. Romance novels, both my love of writing and dreams of love perfectly mixed. Who would have thought all those dusty old manuscripts would turn into a career? Even more unbelievable, I became a “romance expert” of sorts. Whenever people asked me for relationship advice I was flattered albeit a little unprepared. Eventually, rumors of secret boyfriends surfaced. I’m ashamed to say I did nothing to stop them.  Even worse, sometimes I even encouraged it. I hadn’t realized how far things had gone till I got an offer. My own advice column, helping people with their love life issues. A dream come true for most. But how could I accept? The simple answer is I couldn’t. This was my much-needed wake-up call. It showed me just how far these lies have spread. I remember my mom telling me that age-old advice. Be yourself. I have to remind myself of that every day. Well, let’s see if that’s true or not. I’ve never had a real boyfriend. This so-called relationship guru hasn’t been on a date in over a year.  Huh, I wonder if this is as pathetic to read as to write. Okay deep breath, that’s enough of this pity party. Here I am a writer, hopeless romantic, and single as a pringle. 

****

The screen lights up and with it her smile. Comments poured in by the second. 

You’re not alone 😘

You’ve got this 🤗

Don’t give up!!!

I love real you are 💕

But there was one that drew her eyes again and again 

Hi, 

A friend showed me your letter. I thought it was really powerful how you were willing to put yourself out there like that. It’s kinda inspiring. And hey don’t beat yourself up too much about this. Most people probably would have done the same thing. For the record, I think any guy would be pretty lucky to date you. 😊

She’d thought about it all through the night and now, it was time to reply.

****

She probably should have been working. In the last few days alone her blog numbers had practically tripled. Seems honesty really was the best policy. Instead of the constant requests for relationship advice people really just wanted to learn about the real her. As good as that all was she couldn’t seem to focus.

Okay time to stop beating around the bush. She pulled up her messages. She’d been up almost all night long messaging back and forth. They’d talked about practically everything and anything. From books to dreams, they even managed to rant about choco tacos being discontinued for hours on end. It didn’t matter the subject, everything just came with ease. Her fingers slowly pressed the keys as she thought exactly how to say it. Yes that’s perfect she thought only to delete it all a second later. This went on a few minutes more and just as she was about ready to shut off her computer it came to her. Simple and direct. 

Hey there’s this new movie coming out. Want to go see it some time? 

Now there was only one thing left to do, send it. Easy enough right? Yet her finger hesitated over the button. What was she waiting for, a sign? It seemed in all her stories there was one. That sort of aha moment that said it all. Too bad this wasn’t a romance novel, or perhaps it was. She looks at his contact photo for a moment. She’d done that plenty of times before, yet this felt like the first time. The first time she had ever looked at those chocolate brown eyes, the first time she’d seen his warm smile that shined like it was just for her, the first time she saw his hand resting on his dog, Cookie’s head. she smiled and knew that that was the only sign she would ever need.

****

3 years later

New house, same computer. The new laptop James had got her was off in the corner still sitting in the box waiting to be opened. No matter how many times the keys stuck or the screen froze she didn’t have the heart to get rid of it. This was the computer she had typed her first manuscript on, where her blog had been created, she just didn’t have the heart to get rid of it. But that was enough reminiscing for one day. She pulled up her blog smiling as she did. Today she had a very important announcement. After scrolling through her camera roll for a while she found the perfect picture. Quickly she decided on a caption and posted it. A wedding photo her in a dress and him in a tux with a caption reading:

Better than anything I could have written ❤️ 

# Just Married

What can I say I’m a sucker for a happy ending!  A common complaint I carry about love stories is the overabundance of cliches and stereotypes (though not every love story has this, for example I love the movie “While you were sleeping”) but today let’s have some fun with it. What’s your favorite romantic trope? Are you a sucker for the misunderstood bad boy or nerd snags jock? I personally don’t mind a good enemies turned lovers but what about you?