Warning: the following post may contain a proclamation of love for my husband. Read at your own risk.
Last night I went out to dinner with my husband Brian, my friend Enrique Montoya, and one of my ex-peers from business school, whom we’ll call Dilbert.
So, Dilbert was interested in finding out more about products and services offered by my old company (where Enrique still works) and my husband’s company, so I set up a fun dinner for the 4 of us to catch up and for Enrique and Brian to spill the beans on what it’s like to work at their workplaces.
It took a lot of convincing and manipulation to get Brian to agree to come to dinner at all, but I knew he’d have a good time (he’s met Enrique and he likes him). What I didn’t expect was for him to make me fall in love with him all over again.
He was quiet most of the evening, which is not surprising considering Brian is a pretty shy guy and hates bringing attention to himself (unlike his loud-mouth wife). Sit him next to someone as outgoing and loquacious as Enrique, and you will completely forget he’s sitting at the table.
Fortunately, Enrique is fully self-aware and made sure to let Brian get a few words in. And that’s when I just sat back and listened to him do something he doesn’t do often: tell people about himself. Well, it was more like talking about his work environment, but it was stuff I hadn’t heard him talk about before with anyone else but me, and I was just in awe. You know it’s true love when you can just look at the person sitting in front of you and you feel like the luckiest person in the world.
On the way home I told him how sexy he looked talking to others. I think he felt a bit of pride, because he appeared to believe me. That made me happy. It’s so important for me to know he feels appreciated and loved, especially when he gets out of his shell in public (once in a blue moon).
When we got home, still in the car, we got into a disagreement about one of the things the contractor was going to do in the basement. Here’s a life lesson: disagreements will happen, it’s all about how you both handle them when they arise. The progression of the conversation is hard to explain, since there are a lot of inside jokes in there, but it was sort of like this:
ina: I don’t want him to do it that way. That’s not what we agreed.
Brian (after a few attempts at explaining to me why he agreed with the contractor): well maybe you should look up the part online and talk to him, I’m not going to fight him on it.
ina (almost falling asleep and nearly incoherent): Brian…
Brian: I know, I know, but I’m not going to fight it.
ina: no, you don’t know what I’m going to say
Brian: yes, I do
ina: no, you don’t… Listen…
Brian: uh huh…
ina (same topic, but slightly off a tangent): how are you going to connect your TV speakers?
Brian: at first they will rest on the table
ina: and later?
Brian: I’ll hang them up
ina: how are you going to hide the wires?
Brian: we’re going to paint the TV wall area black so the wires are hidden
ina: oh and who approved that? I haven’t approved that
Brian: yes, remember that email I sent you with the picture I found online? (picture provided below for reference)
ina (shouting but laughing a little): right, you Mister I-hate-vague-questions, that email you sent me saying “what do you think?” and then I said “I don’t know what I’m looking at”??
Brian (almost laughing): yes, and I said look at the wall!
ina: YES, THERE WAS A RED WALL ON THE PICTURE AND I ASKED YOU IF YOU WANTED A RED WALL! AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SAID??? YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR ANSWER WAS?? (at this point Brian is laughing hysterically) YOU SAID “I HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT THE COLOR YET”!!! (I cracked up) WHEN DID YOU EVER TALK ABOUT A BLACK WALL??
At that point we were both laughing so hard we were afraid we would wake up the neighbors.
We went inside, and I gave him a big hug and told him I loved him. We cuddled together on the couch to watch the news and then went to sleep.
I don’t know how to explain to you how much this night meant to me. I know he felt it, too. We just felt so happy to be with each other. I can’t wait to live the rest of my life with this man.
ina