Shirley Jordan’s husband would have loved a boat or a plasma television for Valentine’s Day. But she wanted to get something with more meaning. She eventually decided on a ring made with her and her mother-in-law’s wedding diamonds.

Jordan, who recently moved to Poland from North Berwick, took the diamonds to Goldworks in Auburn on Thursday.

The jeweler promised to have the ring ready for early Saturday. But, when Jordan arrived at the shop that morning, he told her that he needed another three hours. She went back at 3 p.m. and it still wasn’t ready.

The jeweler was apologetic. He agreed to call in a few hours and to meet Jordan somewhere to deliver the gift.

It was 7 p.m. Saturday, and Jordan was getting ready to tell her husband that he might have to wait until Monday to get his present when her cellular phone rang.

The owner of Goldworks wanted to know where the couple would be in about an hour. Jordan told him that they were headed to a Valentine’s Day dance at Holy Cross in Lewiston.

At 8 p.m., the jeweler met Jordan at the bottom of the church’s stairs and handed her a perfectly wrapped box. He said “sorry” again and headed home.

“I didn’t even know this person, and he did that for us,” Jordan said. “He could have just apologized, but he knew how important it was to me. He went above and beyond his duty.”

– Lisa Chmelecki
Special deliveries

Central Maine Medical Center got a surprise bigger than flowers and sweeter than candy on Valentine’s Day last week.

Six newborns.

The babies – five girls and one boy – were born at the hospital between 1 a.m. and 11 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. CMMC typically records only one or two births a day.

“We were busy,” said Betsy McGrail, clinical coordinator for the labor and delivery unit. “We love having busy days like this.”

Other Lewiston-Auburn families got their Valentine’s Day surprises a little early. The hospital delivered five babies on Feb. 13.

– Lindsay Tice