Valentine's Day, the Hallmark Holiday, is almost over. We had kind of a low-key day this year. I ended up taking the Wonder Girl for some errands that needed running before the lousy weather that is forecast shows up later in the week. It was 55 degrees this afternoon in the snow belt, so the errand running ended up with mother-daughter pedis, since both our feet were in pretty rough shape, and she has the Winter Formal this weekend. (And you need weather over 35 degrees, really, to wear flip-flops home from a pedi!)

This meant getting home relatively late and needing to get dinner on the table kind of quick. We didn't do a big romantic dinner at Chez Cheese this year. (But we did have Chocolate Cake for the Apocolypse.)

When I was a few (several) years younger, this would have upset me. A lot. I used to measure the relationship in part based on how Major Holidays were spent. As in --were we speaking?

After many years spent not treating each other very well, we are finally in a different place. We live in this relationship differently. We stumble and fall and get up and try again. We forgive. We ask for forgiveness.

I've been listening in my car to the soundtrack from the musical "RENT" for the past few weeks. Today I decided that the song that is our Valentine's song this year is a song sung by two men, Angel and Collins, who are in love. (One of them will die in the next act.) Part of the song goes like this:

I'll Cover You
By Jonathan Larson
"Live in my house; I'll be your shelter.
Just pay me back with one thousand kisses.
Be my lover--I'll cover you.

Open your door, I'll be your tenant.
Don't got much baggage to lay at your feet.
But sweet kisses I've got to spare
I'll be there, and I'll cover you."

Just slip me on, I'll be your blanket.
Wherever,whatever, I'll be your coat.
With a thousand sweet kisses, I'll cover you."

I'm so thankful to have someone who will cover me, in all the ways that are meaningful and important, and to be able to recognize that this year.