The Last Valentine: Sentimental but Surprisingly Tender

Articles in this Topic Discussions in this Topic

Jun 26, 2001

Strong, eternal love runs in the Thomas family. Just ask Susan Allison, the seasoned news reporter who travels to Pasadena to investigate the unbelievable love story of Neil and Caroline Thomas. Irritated at being assigned such a ?fluffy? piece, she hurries to meet Neil Thomas, Jr., and put the job behind her. The kind older man invites Susan into his mother?s home and begins to tell her about his parents. In spite of herself, she becomes intrigued not only with the history but also with Neil, Jr. As she rushes back to Baltimore, Susan reviews the story she knows is worth telling:

Neil and Caroline Thomas grew up together, but lost track of each other as they pursued their individual lives. Neil assumed Caroline had married, and Caroline believed Neil had died in combat; that is, until they met on a fateful day in L.A.?s Union Station. As they embraced, the years melted away and they realized that they were still very much in love with one another. The reunited couple married on Valentine?s Day 1943, bought a house and settled into a cozy routine. Neil held a cushy job as a flight-training school instructor, but his feelings of guilt plagued him; he knew ?he should be there, not here . . . He was cheating death without honor? (28). Compelled to do his duty, Neil shipped off to war on his first wedding anniversary, leaving his young, pregnant bride with one promise: ?I?ll return.? Caroline tries to maintain hope, even when she receives a telegram revealing that her husband is missing in action. Every year on Valentine?s Day, she faithfully visits Union Station waiting for her soldier to make good on his vow. Fifty years pass, fifty years of traveling to the station only to face bitter disappointment, until she receives a visit from two Navy officials who reveal that they have located Neil Thomas?s remains. As Caroline, now an elderly woman, enters Union Station one last time, she knows that her husband has finally returned.

Susan finds herself thoroughly intrigued with the love story that spans five decades, but she wonders if a lasting romance will ever come into her life. Neil, Jr., seems to be a prime candidate, except that he is 20 years older than she, not to mention a family man who lives on the other side of the country. To make matters worse, he is still in love with his deceased wife. The obstacles seem almost as confining as those faced by Neil, Sr., and Caroline. But, as Susan learns through reading the older couple?s story, true love transcends everything, even life itself.

Go To Page: 1 2

The copyright of the article The Last Valentine: Sentimental but Surprisingly Tender in Mormon (LDS) Literature is owned by . Permission to republish The Last Valentine: Sentimental but Surprisingly Tender in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.