Sweet Hubby and me - Part Three

                                                                YES IT IS

Dec. 5, 2005

The first time we got together as a couple was seriously like something out of a movie.  He was coming to Seattle for work.  I was waiting for him at the airport, wearing a dress I had worn at the Denver conference, one he'd commented on.  My heart was beating so fast, I actually thought I might faint.  I wasn't even sure I would remember what he looks like, we'd seen each other so seldom.  But when he came around the corner into the terminal, I knew him instantly.  I had meant to run to him, but couldn't move.  I understood the phrase 'rooted to the spot'.  Everything around him became blurry; all I could see was him.  He came to me and we hugged for a long time, me sobbing uncontrollably.

We didn't kiss until we were in the parking garage, in that moment, I realized we didn't have a lot of natural chemistry.  It went through my mind in a flash: I could give up all this goodness, all this promise, all this love, to hold out for hotter pheromones, or I could surrender to this coupling for exactly what it was,  for everything it did and didn't include.  So I surrendered.  (Spoiler alert: As we got to know one another, as we became safer and more comfortable in one another's company, as old wounds were healed and our life together became evermore joyous and relaxed, our chemistry expanded from a flame to a fire and I'm now consistently having the best orgasms of my life.)

One of the eerily wonderful aspects of our coming together was that the company he worked for has a small satellite office in Denver, but its headquarters are in Seattle.  That meant he could come visit for however long he felt comfortable leaving his very tiny, very old kitty in the care of others.  And I was working only part time, so I could go to Denver for as long as I wanted to.  This first coming together was on my birthday.  The next time was around the new year.  I won't say that every moment was ideal, and we still had a lot to learn about one another, but it was just so darned easy to talk about everything; we listened generously, argued fairly, and were always affectionate.  There was one moment which chilled me a bit.  He'd been married twice before and mentioned he didn't want to get married again.  I was certain I wanted to get married and determined not to betray myself, as I had so many times in the past.  But instead of panicking and making trouble, I decided to let this relationship continue to play out, with the firm private understanding that at some point I would speak up if I started to feel frustrated or resentful.

Feb. 14, 2006

He came to Seattle for Valentine's Day, not that either of us usually gives that day much significance, but it did seem appropriate for such new, deep love.  That morning he was in the kitchen making his breakfast before going to work.  I was in my robe, running a tub of water for a bath.  I leaned against him and said "I love our life".  He said "Do you want to do it forever?"  I shrieked "Not like this!  I'm too distracted!"  I ran to turn off the bathwater, then came back into the kitchen, leaned against him, and said "I love our life."  "Do you want to do it forever?" he asked.  And so we were engaged.