Inside the small community of Nicholls, faculty couples keep their relationship romantic during this Valentine’s season.

While head men’s basketball coach J.P. Piper is busy with the basketball team, his wife, Renee Piper, is the Director of University Relations. The Pipers take time during their busy schedules to have lunch together.

“We enjoy spending time together,” Renee said. “Sometimes he will pop in on me and say ‘hey.’ If I can reach him because of our busy schedules, I will go see him.”

The Pipers were good friends in college, where Renee said J.P. won her heart with his sense of humor.

“I thought he was very funny and he still makes me laugh,” Renee said.

For Valentine’s Day, the Pipers are planning to cook together and spend time with their kids.

“After 20 years of being together, we still enjoy having fun with each other,” Renee said.

Lane and Gail Brigham keep their relationship on a more professional level.

“We don’t take our work stuff home,” Lane said. “We agreed a long time ago to not talk about work at home.”

Lane is a family and consumer sciences professor. Gail is a coordinator for the Golden Learning Opportunity program.

The Brighams met at a radio station where Gail was a copywriter and Lane was a disc jockey.

“We have been together for 26 years,” Lane said, “We keep our relationship strong by sharing our goals and passions with each other. We are more like partners in a business.”

Lane plans to take Gail to their favorite restaurant, Big Al’s, on Valentine’s Day.

“I said it, so now I have to keep my word on that,” Lane said.

Andrew Cavaness and Darcy Browning are a married couple that is newer to Nicholls.

Darcy started last semester as an English 101 and 102 professor. Andrew is a graduate assistant in the math lab.

The couple has been married for a year and a half, but in April, they will celebrate nine years of being together.

“Being married is not that different than the dating life,” Darcy said. “We have always been inseparable.”

The couple met in high school and started dating during Darcy’s senior year.

“We are best friends, so it is easy to keep our relationship strong,” Darcy said. “It comes naturally with us.”

For Valentine’s Day, Darcy said she has no idea what her husband is planning.

“I think he has something up his sleeve,” Darcy said.

The couple enjoys working together in the Nicholls community. They meet up and share stories with each other about their day.

“I like working in the same place with him because he is a stroll away instead of driving across town to see him,” Darcy said. “We get so happy to see each other in between classes.”

The couple work in different fields, but they said that their differences bring them closer.

“He’s in math, and I’m in English,” Darcy said. “They are so different and yet the same. We compliment each other.”

With every couple’s busy schedules, they all continue to love each other. They enjoy each other not only on Valentine’s Day but every day of the year.