Sanya Arora.

Twelve years ago, she was proudly shipped off to the States from India for her undergraduate studies in Nanophysics—the one thing she was very passionate about in her life—and her parents were enormously proud about it that they couldn't stop mentioning it to everyone. It was a big deal, you know. An Indian girl getting a scholarship in the US and being invited to study in a prestigious University. She found everything in her dream city— the food and places she thought she would only see on television, the rhythmic buzz of the cities, new friendships, and most important of all, love.

But she made a mistake. An accident.

Now, Sanya is a divorced single mother of two kids, settled away from the crackling noise of the cities, in the almost-quietness of Cooperstown. She is a college-dropout, a shameless woman and a disgrace in the eyes of her family back in India, who cut off all ties with her when she needed them the most. She works two jobs a day, somedays even three, and gets paid just enough to raise two kids decently. After losing her family, her dream of reaching heights in Nanophysics, and a husband she was crazy in love with, Sanya feels immune to the scars of life. She is quite satisfied with the way her current life is programmed. She is like the gear box to her small family; if she breaks down, her kids do as well. Sanya Arora is always running. She has to.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

"That would be ninety-eight dollars and forty cents," Sanya presses the enter button on the computer and the little machine spits out the bill with a strained cough. The lady fishes the money out of her wallet and places it on the counter. Counting the bills swiftly and stashing it in the drawer, she passes the change back to the lady.

"Thank you!" Sanya smiles brightly to which the lady doesn't respond. With a sigh, she turns to the next customer in line.

For a person who has worked in the supermarket for eight months, Sanya notices an unusually high purchase of fancy chocolates, scented candles and gift cards. She wonders if it is some occasion but just shrugs it off, dismissing it as a weird coincidence. She continues to tap away on her computer until her shift meets its end.

Sanya hands over the counter to her friend Willow and then presses a chaste kiss on her cheek as a goodbye. As soon as she exits the supermarket, she rushes to catch the bus and takes a seat in the one closest to the exit.

Her phone rings.

"Mom, where are you?" Chrysanth asks, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I am so sorry, baby. Willow came in late today and I had to work extra. I'll be there in ten, okay?" She says, looking at her watch. "Has Tara done her homework?"

"Yes, Mom. Everything is okay here. We just need you to come soon!" He exclaims and this brings a smile onto her face as she hangs up. Sanya was ordered to come home early so she exchanged today's night shift at the bar with the cashier job at the supermarket. Sanya had somehow managed to make a profiting deal with both the bar manager and the supermarket owner, allowing her to work on alternative days.

She keeps the job at the bar a secret from her children, excusing it as a part of her day job. Sanya works as the carer for a special kid in the mornings. The Fresons paid her handsomely for the job since their son is very fond of her. To be honest, she likes stacking building blocks and goofing around with him a lot more than billing products and serving drinks.

Stepping into the familiar neighborhood, she navigates through the brightly lit houses, catching the faint choruses of laughter and muffled noises of the television on the way. Before she could step into her front yard, she pauses to look at the house across hers. It looks like a gloomy oddball stuck between bright houses, with its shoulders slumped as darkness looms over it. The right room is always dimly lit during the evenings but today, it's off.

Sanya retraces her steps back and walks over to the house. Will's house. He is a kind and charming man obsessed with schedules and lists. He helped her when she was in dire need of money, very generously, might she add. And when his business faced huge losses or something along those lines, he shut off from everyone. Sanya tried engaging him in conversations but he never stepped out of his house. In the few times she had gone in to stack some extra groceries she bought, she had to keep her nose wrinkled because of the stench of alcohol suffocating the air.

Sanya prepares to water the dahlias and the roses in his house like she usually does, but she is surprised when she finds the soil damp. Someone must've watered the flowers today. Frowning, she scans the place for any evidence for trespassers and she finds the missing roses. When she left for work this morning, she saw the red roses in full bloom. Now they were gone. Did someone visit him?

Reasoning with the observation in her head, she heads to her house and rings the bell. Hurried footsteps race to answer the door. When the door flings open, a blindfold wraps around her eyes and a pair of tiny arms cling to her legs. "What is all this?" She laughs.

"We have a surprise for you!" Tara chirps and she smiles. The hands around her shoulders are warm and comforting but she is also aware that they don't belong to her son's. Who is this man?

The one name that comes to her mind is Tobias— her ex-husband's— who had walked out of her life after giving her two children, complaining that all he could ever think of was baby poo and talcum powder when he should be seeking the thrill of life. Little did he know that raising two kids alone is the most thrilling experience ever. You never know when and where the money goes.

"What surprise? Did you do something wrong? Chrys, did you mess up the kitchen again?" She questions to which her son snorts and mutters an of course not.

"Did you kill somebody?"

"Mom!"

Sanya could feel the light rumble of laughter from the man beside her. They send shivers up her spine and for some peculiar reason, she likes it. All this only adds up to her fear because the only person who had the key to the teenage girl in her was Tobias. Only him. But the right amount of pressure on her shoulders and the citrus mint of aftershave makes her second-guess. And when she loses the warmth of his hands, disappointment fills her. This is wrong, she thinks.

"You can take off your blindfold!" Tara exclaims, bouncing next to her mother's legs. And Sanya does.

The first thing she sees is the blur of red on the walls. Blinking again to let her pupils adjust, she takes in the room decorated with red balloons. There is a red cut-out heart from chart paper propped against the television and on it is a message in Tara's best handwriting. We love you, Mom. Happy Vall̸entine's Day!

Sanya's eyes wells with tears. On the tea table is a chocolate cake and a vase full of roses. Red roses.

Her eyes widening, she whips around to confirm her suspicion. He's there. Will. He is leaning against the couch in a crisp white shirt and faded blue jeans. He has shaved off his rugged beard, making him look a couple years younger. He sends her a genuine smile and she feels her heart slowly sinking into a hot mush. Since when did Will Sallow have such an effect on her? When he raises his eyebrows at her prolonged gaze, she quickly looks away.

Tara looks at her mother expectantly for a reaction but no words come out. "I—"

Chrys comes to his Mom's side and clutches her arm. "It was Tara's idea. She wanted to surprise you."

"Come here, baby," Sanya calls and she hugs them both, tears slipping out of her eyes. "I completely forgot today was Valentine's Day. And this was just... so sweet of you two. I love you so much. So much!"

"We know, Mom," Chrys tells her, patting her head awkwardly.

"I thought you were too cool for soppy parties..." Sanya teases her son, bringing up the exact words he used when she suggested a birthday party for Tara.

"Well, Tara bribed me with hugs and I couldn't say no," He says and his sister grins. "Will came to visit and when he saw us, he decided to help. He baked the cake!"

Sanya looks at Will gratefully. Both of them knew she has a million questions for him and it has to wait. "Come on then, let's see how good Will's baking skills are." She smirks, gesturing for him to join her. They order pizza for dinner and have the cake as dessert.

Throughout the casual banter, all her mind focuses on is the man sitting across her, treating her kids as if they are his own.

"So... I'll go clean this all up. You two go to bed. Thanks for today. I love you," Sanya says again, kissing their foreheads. She walks into the kitchen and waits for Will to join her.

"Hey," he says, carrying two dirty plates.

"Um, how are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks to you," he says, standing beside her near the sink.

"Me?"

"Did you think I assumed food magically appeared in my kitchen and the plants watered themselves?" He laughs, the sound so fluid and musical.

"I was worried," Sanya admits.

"I know. And not many worry about strangers," he looks at her indescribably and she bites her lip. "I thought I'll come and say thanks but you weren't here."

"Yeah, I had to exchange shifts because of the surprise," she grins. "And you aren't a stranger. You saved me from a crisis."

"So all this was just a way to repay me? Because if you don't remember, you have already given me back the money."

"You are a good man, Will. It would be such a crime if something happened to you," Sanya says.

"That's it?"

Sanya's smile drops and she turns to face him. "D-do you want it to be something more?" She whispers.

Will studies her. She could feel his gaze travel across her sweat-coated hair, the minute acne beginning to form on her forehead, her tired eyes, the crescent marks on her cheeks that baby Tara had imprinted, and it finally stops at her chewed up lips, unkissed for almost a decade.

Will takes a step closer.

Sanya's eyes roam across his features as well, trying to get a hint at what he is implying. She spots the part he had missed while shaving, his hair falling on his forehead like a perfect hood, and his lush tempting lips.

"Yes," he answers and she sucks in a breath. With her heart racing in her chest, her lungs shrinking to make her breathless and the thoughts running haywire in her mind— everything gets loud with that one word. Sanya panics that her brain might short circuit.

"Will-"

He takes her hand. "I just wanted to let you know. I don't need a response immediately. You can give it to me if and when you like," He says and she shuts her mouth, nodding.

He takes the plate from her, brushing her fingers on purpose, and starts drying it. She stays frozen.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sanya," he says after a few minutes of silence.

And she realises that Valentine's Day never felt realer.

Love-ly Surprises by Caramelly_yours