If we had to express our feelings with a message on a Valentine's Day candy heart, it would be, "MISS YOU." Yep, America's most beloved Valentine's Day candy will not be available this year. Conversation hearts have long been the best-selling sugar treat for February lovers. You likely grew up sending "BE MINE" hearts to your school crushes. 

Alas, the New England Confectionary Company, better known as Necco, went out of business in July. The confection manufacturer also produced the nostalgic treat Necco Wafers. 

The good news is that the Spangler Candy Company, maker of Dum Dum lollipops, purchased the Necco brand from auction this past September. The bad news is that Spangler did not have enough time to crank out Sweethearts for the 2019 Valentine's season.

If you're wondering why five months is not enough time to meet the demand, keep in mind that the Smithsonian estimates that approximately 8 billion of the little suckers are sold each year. (Here are eight more things you never knew about Sweethearts.) 

The heart-shaped Sweethearts date back to 1902. We've been munching them for more than a century. But not this year.

This is all good news for the people at Brach's. While Sweethearts were far and away the most popular form of the candy, Necco did not have a monopoly. Other candy-makers produce conversation hearts.

Spangler plans to relaunch Sweethearts in 2020. Necco wafers are slated for a comeback later this year.