The Well-Tempered Chocolatier

I’m not going to ignore it, though I wish I could. Seriously now, it’s the holiday that couples dread because you have to manage your partner’s expectations, and it’s the holiday that singles dread because it magnifies the fact that you’re single. 

It reminds me of my chocolatier days when I would spend weeks on end making chocolate hearts that said be mine and I <3 you, in both official languages. Sometimes I’d have the odd German heart to write, and then I was never sure if I was spelling it right, or (even better) inadvertently saying something rude.

In the weeks leading up to V-day, we would get silly and write an occasional sassy heart. Inevitably, February 13th would roll around and the shop would be full of wide-eyed, desperate-looking men facing the choice between hey baby and I love you. You’d be surprised how many chose hey baby.