Our First Valentines Day

 I hope I never forget our first Valentine's Day. I tell this story because I want my kids, grandchildren and great grandchildren to know us as real people...not just Mom and Dad, or Nonnie and Papaw. I want them to know and remember that they were not the first nor will they be the last to know young love. It has been around for a long, long time. Each couple has a story. This is part of our story.  It was one of my favorite Valentine's memories.

 I remember I made Tommy a cake in a heart shaped pan. I bought the cake pan weeks before, just for Valentines Day.  Although my cooking was debatable, I was determined to make him a pretty cake.

Since we are both chocoholics, the cake was a creamy fudge Betty Crocker original.....right out of the box. I wanted to have the cake ready when Tommy came home for lunch.  

I forgot to grease the pan before I put the cake mixture in it. I also set the oven on 450 instead of 350 degrees. Since it was going to be 30 minutes before the cake was supposed to be done,  I took a shower.  While in the shower, I smelled something burning. Scared to death, I jumped out of the shower and ran to the kitchen, dripping water everywhere!  The kitchen was covered in smoke. The cake was burnt to a crisp and I looked like a wet noodle!!! This day was not going any thing like I had planned it.

I opened the back door to let some smoke out, only to find Tommy standing there. He scared the snot out of me to put it politely!

He had taken the day off and was going to surprise me. I was surprised alright!!! There I stood, in a puddle of water, holding a burning cake. The house looked like a fog had rolled in and smelled like a rubber factory.  It was a mess, and all I could think of to say was, "Well, shit!!!  Happy Valentine's Day!!"

Tommy grabbed another dish towel and set the burnt cake outside. He looked at me and was laughing so hard!!!  I had shampoo in my hair and was literally a mess.  I went to give him a kiss and slipped in the pool of water, hitting the floor hard.   Tommy reached down to help me up and I jerked him down with me. If I was gonna be a wet chocolate mess---so was he!!! 

Did we ever get a cake?  No, later, much later we ate the mix with spoons and thought it was the best cake I never made:)