A year ago today we went on our first road trip together. I overheard you tell your mama on the phone that it was "make it or break it" time, because road trips seem to bring out the best - and worst - in a couple.
We drove to Austin together that weekend to see friends and family and Neko Case, and when I got in the car that morning before we left there was a perfect daisy waiting for me, with the stem planted securely in a McDonalds to-go cup so that it would stay fresh all weekend. Can a road trip get any sweeter?
We had the most fun ever that day and night - on Highways 84, 377, and 183; at Antones; with our Austin friends; at the gay bar we went to late that night where a guy wearing only black leather pants and red sequin heart pasties checked you out.
We all went back to our friends' house in the cutest neighborhood in Austin, twenty minutes later we were all fast asleep on their floor and couch, covering the living room with bodies and pillows and blankets like a sleepover. Now we live in that same house, together - that very house in the cutest neighborhood in Austin that we all crashed at on Valentines Day 2003.
Funny how life works, huh?
A few weeks ago we were discussing a friend of mine who was making plans to celebrate the big 5 Month Anniversary with her boyfriend.
"How did we celebrate our 5 month anniversary?" I asked you.
'We moved to Austin together," you said, as though that were a perfectly sane and reasonable thing to do - to move six hours away from our homes with no money, no jobs, no real possessions except a 5 Month Old Relationship and two crazy cats.
"That's right," I replied, realizing for the first time how brave we were then, and also how glad I am now.
I woke up this morning in this same perfect house to a perfect card, handwritten on pink paper:
"Happy V.D. Day!" it said, surrounded by candy hearts.
It reminded me of one of the best things about being together, month after month until the years add up: having a 12 year old's sense of humor is always completely acceptable, if not encouraged.
Happy V.D. day, sweet thing - I think we're making it.
Lucy loves you |
