Lauren Branch and Curtis Parker walk hand in hand, his and her class rings: she wears his and he wears hers-glitter on their pinky fingers.
They stop and she touches his face in deep familiarity. His face dimples with affection. You can almost see the love surrounding the two.
For Crystal Smith and Michael Ware, who have been together off and on since fall 2002, control has been their biggest issue.
“Mike does not seem to understand that just as he sees himself as a grown man, I am a grown woman,” said Smith.
“My father is in Shreveport and I do not need anyone else telling me what to do.”
The love bug bites Southern University students everyday.
Although most couples have different attitudes and ideas on what makes a relationship work Branch, Curtis, Smith and Ware seems to have it all figured out.
As the day that encourages all those in love or still searching for love approaches, both couples were asked to recount their first Valentine’s Day.
Branch and Parker spent their first Valentine’s Day together three years ago.
“It was so special. He sent me roses and he cooked for me,” Branch said bragged. “We were still in high school and we had not been together that long, so I did not really expect much. But, we had a candlelit dinner. He even brought me Popeye’s’ biscuits, which he knew I loved…it was more special than going out could have ever been.”
“I just tried to make the day special for her,” said Parker. “I try to do the things that a man is supposed to do.”
Despite there on again, off again relationship, this will be Smith and Ware’s first Valentine’s Day together.
“This will be our second Valentine’s Day as a couple, but our first actually being together,” said Ware as they try to decide what to do for the big day. “Last year she decided the day before Valentine’s that she did not want to spend the day with me because I did not have the money to buy her an expensive purse.”
Smith expressed how she felt about the mishap.
“I was mad at him. I told him what I wanted and he could not deliver,” said Smith. “But, this year just being together will be ok.”
