My true love

It's hard not to think about love in February. All of the Valentine's Day hype and roses and candy hearts in every aisle in the drug store across the street. This year, Kath and I went out for a romantic dinner at a cool restaurant in Providence during the weekend before Valentine's Day, since I was working overnight on the day itself. It was lovely - we hadn't been out for a romantic dinner in a while. The tables had long-stemmed roses with red tablecloths, comfy cushy chairs, slow-paced meal, wine, good food, awesome creme brulee. A romantic evening with my hon bun... just lovely.

But, this month, I've realized (again) what true love really is for me (for us). Kath and I were talking about it yesterday when we went out for brunch after I finished my last night for the week. When we fell in love, it was all exciting and tingly and amazing and head-spinning. That feeling mellows... thank goodness, as Katherine says, or nothing would get done in life. Now, there's that comfort, that constancy, in having Katherine there every day, when I come home from work, and she comes home.
We've realized it more this month, when I'm on nights. We both go through withdrawal of sorts during the week, as we see each other for at most 1 hour before I go to work. She hasn't been sleeping well. We're both cranky and emotional at times. We've both broken down in tears at various times over stressful things. But then, when we just get to spend time together on the weekends, it gets better.
I'm beginning to realize how it is that when couples have been together for 50 years, and one dies, the other spouse often passes away soon afterwards. There's a symbiosis that develops, and we are becoming each other's half. When that piece of you is not around, it's harder to function.

I loved falling in love, but I wouldn't go back in time. Maybe I should write a romance novel. Instead of Duke Livermore falling for his arch-rival's daughter, Clarissa MonteCarlo, whom he married to get revenge, I could write about a couple who've been together for 9 years.

Because that's the romance I'd choose.