Good man in Dear John

I love that you are so close to your mum. I love that for 30 years, it's been just the two of you since your dad died, and you want to take care of your mum.

I love that you've paid half your wages to make sure she is warm and fed. I love that despite this you're up to something in preparation for my birthday this week.

I couldn't care less if all I got was a kiss for my birthday. You're a good man and you're doing what's important. Yes the cocktails and dinner are nice, and yes it's a joint birthday/first Valenties day celebration. But none of that matters because you're a good man. And that is the hardest thing to come by. I'm so incredibly lucky to have you as my sweetheart.

We like a celebration in my family. It's an excuse to dress up, meet up, for a piss up. We do presents, we do cards, balloons, we make a fuss.

John doesn't have much family, locally just his mum and uncle, and they've never really been the fuss making type. John's birthday is in May - I already have him tickets for Ed sheeran, because I know he'd love to see him and I needed to book them when they went on sale.

I love present buying. I love thinking about things people will like, seeing little things that I think will be the right thing. I know the valentines present I have for John is exactly 'him'. A mug with 'I bloody love my dog' and a dog nose and whiskers on, and some mini hottest chilli powders. Both things are things I instantly saw and thought - that's you!

He's already told me off for buying him anything, before he even knows what it is. It's something small, and trinketty, but it was a saw it and thought of you kinda thing. And isn't that the spirit of the day?

Xx