Be Mine, My Valentine.
Denny Houston - February 14th, 2026 - 5:37 PM
I was buzzing with excitement as I twirled around the backyard of the house that I shared with Cory. Not long after we got married a few months ago, she and I purchased a house and moved in together. We felt like having two apartments no longer made sense, especially since it’d been over a year since we last slept apart.
So, seeing as today was Valentine’s Day, I thought it’d be the perfect time to utilize the beautiful backyard for a special surprise I had for Cory. We’d spent all morning together, cuddling, fucking, and just enjoying each other’s company, but after lunch, I managed to convince her to run a few errands for me that I knew would take a while. She was hesitant at first, slightly annoyed that she had to leave the house, but I knew that it would all be worth it once she saw my reason.
This would be only the second Valentine’s Day Cory and I have spent together since becoming official, and I wanted it to be perfect. Last year, I didn’t get a chance to plan anything big since she was suffering a bout of depression after running into her mom’s ex. This year would be different, though.
“Denny, you are unbelievable, you know that, right?” Delilah groans as she carries a box to the nearby table. “Do youreallyneed all of this? You know Cory’s simpin’ ass would appreciate anything you do for her, even if it was gifting her a one dollar hotdog.”
“Yes, I know,” I chuckled. “But I want this day to be special. She’s so amazing, and she deserves it. Plus, hasn’t she been such an amazing help around the shop and studio? She could be doing anything with her time now that she’s retired, but she has been here with us, making sure that we never worked too hard and that nobody got over on us. Ugh, she’s perfect.”
“Ugh, she’s perfect,”she mocks, shaking her head. “God, y’all are ridiculous.”
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that you were jealous,” I tease, to which she waves me off. “It’s okay, sis. You’ll find your person one day. Who knows? Maybe you’ve already met them.”
“If this is you hinting at that idiot, Cordell, then I’m about to slap you,” she says, narrowing her eyes at me, and I can’t contain my laughter. “That boy constantly works my everlasting nerves. If Ievergive him a chance, that’ll be the day that the world starts spinning the wrong way.”
“You’re probably right,” I reply, “So, Imma just leave that alone.”
“Thank you,” she nods triumphantly. “Now, back to these decorations. I hope that you plan on paying me for my help.”
“I got a buy-one, get-one-free Whopper coupon that you can have.”
“You ain’t shit, Denny,” she laughs, and I join in.
We spend the next few hours transforming the outdoor space into the most glorious couple’s spot. There were streamers, balloons, and even a cute string of fairy lights draped across the gazebo that I’d designated as our date spot. I’d also decorated the large lounger with comfy sheets and blankets.
I dragged out one of the fluffy rugs and placed it right in the center, surrounded by even more pillows and blankets. There was a tray of our favorite snacks covered with a netted cloche, and beside it was a bucket filled with ice and one of her favorite wines from a popular winery here.
As I stood back and admired our hard work, my stomach leaped in anticipation. Cory was always doing things for me, so to finally be able to do something this lovely for her felt so good. I hoped that she’d feel all of my love and adoration for her, not only in this, but also in the meal I had prepared for her. Tonight was her night to be pampered.
“Well, I must admit,” Lilah says as she takes in the setup. She nods in approval. “We really ate with these decorations.” She turns to me with a smirk. “You think Cory’s crybaby ass is gonna bawl her eyes out when she sees it? Oooh, please record her reaction in case she does! I need more material to tease her with.”
“Leave my girlfriend alone,” I laugh, shaking my head. “I swear, y’all had to have been actual siblings in a past life with the way y’all are always bickering. Now that I think about it, the only one of the Tate siblings youdon’targue with is Imani.”
“That’s because that’s my sweetheart,” she sighs, and I roll my eyes at the honey dripping from hers. “Man, if she wasn’t married and a mom, I would shoot my shot for real.”
I ignore her but chuckle to myself. Just like Cory’s brother had a crush on her, she had a crush on Cory’s sister. She could tell Lilah to jump off a bridge, and she would. Unfortunately for her, Imani was straight and had also been together with Leo, her husband, since they were in 11th grade. Lilah liked to chalk it up to “the one that got away,” and I always teased her for being so damn dramatic.
“You need to get laid, for real,” I tell her.
“Tuh, what you think I’m doing after this?” She replied. “I might not have a fancy night planned out like you, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t be laid up under somebody’s son or daughter tonight.”
“I should’ve known,” I chuckled. My phone pings, signaling a text, so I pull it out to check. I smile when I see it’s from Cory. “Seems like my wife is on the way back. She just asked if I wanted her to pick up dinner for us.”
“And that’s my cue to leave,” Lilah nods. She walks over to give me a quick hug, and I walk with her to the front door. “Have fun, lovely sibling of mine. I hope Cory loves it so much that she knocks all the Mario coins outta that pocketbook.”
“Goodbye, Delilah!” I laugh, waving her off.
She tosses her hand up in one last goodbye before heading to her car. Once she had disappeared down the street, I went back inside, deciding to make a few last tweaks before Cory arrived. God, I was so excited for her to see the whole setup.
And I was even more excited at the thought of her thanking me all night long and into the early morning.
Cory Tate - February 14th, 2026 - 6:36 PM
Today had been such a good day, so of course I was a bit annoyed to have to go run some errands when I could have spent that time cuddled up with Denny. I had no idea why getting groceries today was so damn important, but when they asked me to pick up their order, I knew I couldn’t say no.
