Chocolate, Candy and The Promise

“Somebody must really love you!” the nosy receptionist said as she plopped the gigantic bulky box on my desk. I was trying to calm an irate client on the phone and now I was unable to see my computer screen due to this box, asking her to hold for a minute did not go over well. I tried to move the box with one hand and soon realized that it was pointless. As I glanced at the return address, I knew where this came from but finding out what was inside was going to have to wait, I could lose this client if I kept her on hold any longer. I had not realized that every busy body in the office had stopped what they were doing to give my delivery all of their attention. As I was finishing my phone conversation the queen nosy body was opening MY box! Once I pried my box out of her grubby hands I opened the box and inside were 15 smaller individually wrapped boxes with bows and handwritten cards attached to each one.

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, there had to be at least a 25 pound assortment of Easter themed candy. I did get quite a laugh at the box of chocolate covered nuts labeled especially for my coworkers. There were bunnies in canoes for the boys, fruit covered in chocolate, pretzels covered in chocolate, peanut butter cups, chocolate covered cherries, truffles and coconut covered in chocolate. Easily this was diabetes in a box.

Never had I received such a gift and I have to admit I was quite elated with the feeling of just being loved and being thought about. Having the nosy bodies at work rather jealous of my new relationship felt good too. They were all still getting past the flower deliveries I had received recently and they did not like that I was being tight lipped about the “details”. I refused to participate in the office gossip and I did not want to give them ammunition for their rumor mill.

I called my admirer while I was still blushing from the gift of chocolate overload. I was fighting off tears of happiness during my thank you, SHE cut me off and said “You deserve to have happiness”, that just made the tears fall a little easier. To this day I get embarrassed about receiving gifts, in a weird way I feel as if I don’t deserve it.

That night when I told her I had hidden the canoes and bunnies from the kids she did not agree. I explained that using that chocolate for Easter baskets would greatly help me out financially. She knew that the gift was greatly enjoyed and appreciated, that night I let my walls down a little more.

I’ve always prided myself in being a strong proud independent woman. I’ve always worked a full time job, sometimes as a single parent juggling a professional life and family life is a very difficult task. Keeping a home with all that entails along with food on the table can be considerably difficult with one salary. There are months that I don’t know how I did it, but I did. That night I allowed myself to lean on her, and it was that night that she promised that she would always be there for me, she has never let me down.