As I was walking across the parking lot my heart starting beating frantically. It was like going into an important job interview, or standing at a podium to give a presentation. Nerves. What if he’s rejected? What if he doesn’t get the response he was hoping for? Will the other mom’s think it’s unfair or inappropriate? My little boy was ready to make a grand gesture to his pre-school love. It was completely silly, but I was physically nervous for him. Even my legs felt wobbly.

It all started last week when we were filling out his Spider Man valentines for his classmates. We reached “Her” name, lets just call her Sally McSmith (and we use her whole name anytime she’s mentioned), in the list of students. He mumbled under his breath “that’s my girl.” I asked him to repeat what he said, pretending I didn’t hear him the first time. “Nothing Mom,” was his reply. After we finished writing out his valentines we went through the list to make sure we didn’t miss anyone. When we came across Sally McSmith again and he told me he wanted to get her flowers. I asked if she was the only one he wanted to get flowers for, and he said “Yes, she LOVES flowers. She told me so.”

So this morning, on our way to pre-school we stopped and got Sally McSmith flowers. The bouquet looked huge in his tiny hands. He carried them proudly and began crossing the parking lot. My little Casanova. She saw him from across the lot and didn’t know those flowers were for her. “Oh look Mommy, Deacon brought flowers in today.” As we approached I thought I was having heart palpitations. I watched my son get ahead of me and move faster and with confidence to “his girl.” He smiled at her and handed her the flowers. She was in disbelief and so was her mom. I watched as the shy little girl in class jumped up and down and smiled, and then I watched Deacon smile too.

Her mom found the gesture incredibly sweet. Little Sally McSmith asked if she could keep them in her cubby and then put them in her room. My little man made a little lady very, very happy today…and almost gave mommy heart failure. I’m sure there will be many little Sally McSmiths in the future, but that memory will be in my heart forever.