I made these cupcakes with a friend for Valentine’s Day. They are supposed to be presented in an heart shaped box to make it look like they are Russel Stover chocolates. It was so easy and fun, all we did was melt store bought frosting and dunked the cupcakes in to give them a glossy finish of a real bonbon. The boys helped. We were very proud of ourselves when we presented them to our friends, Gregor and Amanda at Valentine’s Day dinner at their house, we acted like we were professional pastry chefs, “Oh these, they are mere trifles.”

We toasted with a glass of champagne, I felt a little flush and thought, gosh I’m maybe I shouldn’t bake, that sugar made me feel really weird. Then I realized I needed to lie down, so I very casually said, you know I don’t feel 100% and I think I’m just going to lie down. (It wouldn’t be the first time a friend needed to rest at a party, though usually that happens much later in the evening). I went into the living room to lie down. David came in to check on me and while I was trying to explain what was wrong I suddenly had to run into their powder room and once there I threw up so badly some came through my nose! (I know! So sorry!)

I didn’t know which was worse my embarrassment, the retching, or my guilt that I was now giving their whole family the stomach virus that was going around. David didn’t even flinch, he just bent down next to the toilet and held back my hair and helped me take off my cardigan because I had a little antique paper corsage pinned to it. Then because he knows I’m a complete germaphope he helped me clean up their bathroom with Lysol wipes. When I came out of the bathroom looking clammy and humiliated, Gregor turned to me and said: Leave the kids, let David take you home, we don’t care about dinner we just want you to feel better. They wouldn’t even let me be embarrassed.

It was hardly a romantic Valentine but it was filled with love.

How was yours?