A Little Box of Love (Vicky and Emmet Valentine's Day Part 1)

>"Oh me, oh my, where is it!? Where did I put it!? I always forget!!"
>Jeanette Winslow, the lady of the house, worryingly paces back and forth in the master bedroom, surveying each little nook and cranny as she'd pass them
>"Ma'am? Is something the matter?" A petite Nandroid asked as she poked her head into the room
>"Oh, hello Vicky dear. I just can't find this wonderful little heart shaped box of mine. It's very important!"
>Vicky daintily enters the room, inquiring further. "May I ask what it's for?"
>Jeanette plops herself onto her king sized bed with a sigh
>"It's for Valentine's Day! Back on our first Valentine's Day together, I got Hector a box of chocolates, and the box was just SO lovely. I decided to keep it and reuse it each year. I even change the arrangement of chocolates every time."
>Jeanette, defeated, falls back into the bed, tightly shutting her eyes. "But then I always forget where I put it every year..."
>Vicky approaches the bed while surveying the room herself
>Reaching the bed's footing, Vicky bends down to take a quick look beneath it
>"Is the box you're looking for a deep purple, Mrs. Winslow?"
>Jeanette's eyes pop open. "Yes. YES! Oh my goodness do you see it??"
>Vicky uprights herself, holding a glass case with a purple heart shaped box inside
>"Would this happen to be it?"
>Jeanette softly laughed to herself as she got out of bed to take the case from the Nandroid
>"Yes, that's it! Goodness, was it really just under the bed?? I always forget to look under there. This hardwood floor is just not good on the knees!"
>"I'm just happy it wasn't lost, ma'am!" Vicky happily chirped as she handed over the case

>Vicky understood how much some humans revered Valentine's Day as a special time to express their love for their special someone
>As an android however, she didn't make much sense of it herself. She only knew that it was rather important to make such feelings known between those who love one another
>For the past two years, she had seen Mr. and Mrs. Winslow exchange their gifts and affection on Valentine's Day, the Missus indeed using that same heart shaped box both years
>Vicky hadn't wondered why she used the same box, but this year, her curiosity had been piqued

>"I wonder, is there a reason you use the same box each year, miss?"
>Jeanette smiled as she opened the case to retrieve the heart box. "It's just symbolic. It's a way to remind Hector that I'm still me, and he's still him, and I still love him for being him. If you wanted to be sappy about it, you could say that it represents how, while some things change, my heart at least hasn't changed after all the years."
>She grabs a bag of various home made chocolate treats from atop her nightstand
>Vicky remembers being barred from the kitchen earlier in the day. Mrs. Winslow must have been making those treats herself that morning
>Vicky perked up in attention as her master began carefully placing the treats into the box
>"You mentioned you use a different arrangement of chocolates each year too, right? Why's that? Isn't the heart shaped box the go-to Valentine's Day symbol itself? Why bother customizing the chocolates?"
>Chuckling, Mrs. Winslow answers. "The chocolates are my personal touch! I arrange them in a way that tells Hector how I've felt about him this past year. And, it's not just the arrangement, but which chocolates I use, too."
>Jeanette picks up an extra large treat from the arrangement-in-progress. "For instance, I use larger chocolates to show my love for him. The more large chocolates I use, the more he knows I adore him."
>Vicky notices Mrs. Winslow putting in quite a few large pieces of chocolate.
>"You must have really loved him this year."
>Jeanette grinned with a laughed. "Oh I sure have!"
>Picking up another chocolate, she continues. "Hector loves the caramel filled ones the most. I put them in as a 'thank you' for HIS love. He's been a real sweetheart this year, so he gets a few extra caramel treats!"
>Putting it back and adding more treats, Jeanette finishes her explanation. "And with all these different shapes, sizes and flavors I have, I try to make a delicious design that's as appetizing as it is romantic!"

>Vicky watched with anticipation as each chocolate was thoughtfully placed
>Miniature hearts within hearts outlined by different shaped treats decorated with unique frosting or sprinkles
>She kept a simple smile on her face, but her mind was racing
>Earlier in the year, she and her Botler counterpart Emmet had confessed their attraction, or at least what they assume is attraction, for one another, but had yet to explore their feelings since then
>They're service androids, they had no real idea how to approach romance. Why would they? It wasn't part of their job as a Nandroid and Botler
>But, Vicky thought to herself, if expressing your affection could be as fun and as simple as a box of chocolates, then maybe romance isn't so complicated after all
>And besides that, what better day to try and break the ice with Emmet than Valentine's Day?

>"And THERE we go!"
>Vicky snapped out of her trance as Mrs. Winslow put the lid on her box of chocolates
>With what seemed like rote memory, she added the finishing touch: A perfectly tied ribbon, with the bow dead-center of the heart. That single detail making this over 20 year old box look brand new
>"Thanks for finding the box for me Vicky. I was so worried I'd have to buy new one this year!"
>"You're welcome, ma'am! I'm always happy to he-EELLP!"
>Interrupting Vicky, Jeanette lifted Vicky off the ground with her usual appreciative hug, which Vicky happily reciprocates
>After setting the Nandroid down, Jeanette carefully placed the heart box back into the glass case for protection, and practically skipped out of the master bedroom
>"Now to hide this until tomorrow. And don't follow me, Vicky! Need to keep it private, even from you!"

>As Vicky straightened out her uniform from Mrs. Winslow's squeeze, she quietly giggled to herself, and began to ponder
>"Chocolates wouldn't really mean anything to Emmet, but maybe... Hm... Those wouldn't fit in such a small box..."
>Vicky's head pops up as an idea crosses her trailing mind
>"...Would a bigger box show even MORE love..?"
>She grinned as she headed from the bedroom to the downstairs office in search of some cardboard, scissors and a ribbon