414 Valentines 1 (1/2)

Her right shoulder and arm are stiffly bandaged, so it's difficult to move and hold onto Max through the night. Sure, Max hugs her, but it's not the same. She likes to cling to him and there is no better support for her head than his firm pecs.

Due to her injury, they are also wearing nightwear, which is a change because they would normally sleep naked. Liz does not sleep in pajamas, but she is wearing Max's t-shirt which provides coverage like a baggy mini-dress.

Liz took a deep breath, and a sweet scent filled her lungs. She opened her eyes to see that she is in a bed covered with rose petals and her lips lifted into a smile.

She turned her head to the right, expecting to see Max, but she was greeted by a bouquet of red roses and a note that said: ”Happy Valentine's, love”

Liz glanced through the room to see that Max was not in sight, and there was another note on the bedside table: ”I will be with you in a few minutes, love.”

Liz was happy to see the flowers because she didn't expect them.

She remembered that Max made some plans for Valentine's day, but that got canceled due to her injury and she thought it will be a day as usually. She should have known that Max would not let February 14 be just a regular day. He makes her feel special all the time, and Valentine's is bound to include flowers and probably extra hugs and kisses.

Liz never cared about flowers and notes, but with Max, she understood that it's not about the items, but about the intentions behind those gestures. And she knows that she didn't care before because those men who courted her were not important.

”You are awake?”, Max asked as he made his way into the bedroom after closing the door behind him. ”It's almost time for your meds, and breakfast is ready. Let me help you get ready…”

Liz stood up from the bed and leaned on Max. ”Happy Valentine's, Max. Thank you for a wonderful morning surprise.”

Max chuckled when he felt Liz rub her face on his chest. She was wearing his t-shirt and to him, she looked like a sexy-kitty, even with that bandaged shoulder and stiff right arm.

He wondered if she would like things he prepared for today. He planned a memorable Valentine's weekend, but due to her injury, he had to scale it down. However, seeing her reaction to just flowers in the bed, he knew that she will love it and they will have a fantastic day.

”You are welcome, love.”

Max wanted to kiss her, but she turned her head to the side to avoid him.

”Let me brush first, and then I will kiss you properly.”

Max kissed her forehead before letting her go. ”I can't wait to have those proper kisses.”

Max helped Liz dress up for the day and she saw that he is excited.

Max smiled mischievously and put one of his hands over her eyes. ”Close your eyes and follow me…”

Liz felt his hand on her back, gently guiding her out of the bedroom. She was confident that he made breakfast and he probably made a nice arrangement on the dining table.

”Open your eyes…”, Max's voice sounded next to Liz's ear.

”Oh…”, a sound escaped her lips when she saw that the furniture in the living room is replaced by tall potted plants and a picnic blanket in the middle. There were a picnic basket and a cooler with beverages, and more roses all over the room.

”I thought that it will be inconvenient to go out for a picnic, so I decided to bring one inside.”, Max explained.

”From where did the plants come?”, Liz asked.

”They were delivered this morning. After this, we can keep them out on the terrace. With how much rain we get here, we won't need to worry about watering them.”, Max also thought that they can get Olivia to take care of the plants, if necessary, but he will bring that up later. This day was about him and Liz and he didn't want to talk about anyone else.

Max gestured toward the picnic setup. ”Do you like it?”

”I love it, Max. Thank you!”

Max helped Liz settle on the blanket and Liz noticed that Max put a comforter under the blanket for extra padding.

They spent the morning on the blanket, chatting with food, and then Max got a book and he read to Liz until she fell asleep with her head in his lap.

When Liz opened her eyes, it was close to noon, and instead of Max's legs, her head was supported by pillows.