I spent ages this evening trying to get Charles something for Valentine’s Day. I couldn’t get him any old thing – it had to be small and cheap because he doesn’t do Valentine’s Day and had asked me not to get him a present – yet I wanted it to be something a bit special too, because he’s worth it. Just how do you do cheap and unassuming yet special?! I did find the perfect thing – a beautiful pink-petalled orchid – however he already has one of those on his kitchen worktop so I couldn’t very well hand him another identical one! In the end I settled on some pots of bulbs that were just coming into flower, and I got some nice wicker flower pots to set them in. He likes wicker, and I thought if he doesn’t like the bulbs he can at least use the pots to keep pencils in or something!

My next problem was when to take Charles’ present down to his house as I wanted to leave it outside his door. However he has a habit of not coming home until long after I have gone to bed, and I couldn’t decide whether I should force myself to stay awake and yawningly deposit the present at about 1.00am, or get up very early and go to work via his house, which is in totally the wrong direction so would mean getting up verrry early indeed! Fortuitously at just after 10.00pm Charles rang me for a quick chat, thereby letting me know that he was already home, and that was my cue to put my coat on over my pyjamas and get down to his flat, stealthily tiptoeing up the stairs to leave his flower pots and Valentine card outside his front door. He should trip over them whenever he finally drags himself out of his pit tomorrow!