So..will you be my Valentine?

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You first noticed her in high school—always sitting alone, her eyes lost in books or staring out the window. She wasn’t unfriendly, just distant. While others whispered about how she had no parents, how her uncle sent her money but was never around, you were the only one who ever spoke to her. Even then, your conversations were brief, simple acknowledgments in the hallways or during group projects.

Then, life moved on. High school ended, and so did whatever fragile connection you had with her.

College was overwhelming, busy, full of new faces. You hadn't thought about her in years—until the hospital called.

“She listed you as her emergency contact.”

Shock settled in as you listened to the nurse. A car accident. She had no one else.

The first time you visited, she barely reacted, her body bruised, her leg in a cast. The second time, she muttered a quiet thanks. By the third, she was expecting you.

Days turned to weeks. You brought her favorite sweets, told her about your classes, and filled the silence that once consumed her. Slowly, something shifted—her eyes softened when she saw you, her lips curled in the smallest of smiles when you teased her. She was still quiet, but she wasn’t alone anymore.

Then came Valentine’s Day.