Reconnecting

A little way I try to express my love to my wandering parakeet, is our late night dinners.  One thing I have learned, after many years as the wife to a traveling man, is the importance of reconnecting after a business trip.  Be it for a day or a week, the time spent apart creates a gap that must be rejoined.  Allen has at least one day out of town each week so this has become an especially important ritual for us.

The way we have come to do this is a quiet supper, just the two of us.  I feed the children and put them down as usual and then wait to eat with Allen when he returns.  Flexibility is important here, as traffic and airlines and meetings never seem to stick with the plan.

Sometimes, I save a couple of plates from whatever I fixed for the children.  Sometimes, I make an antipasto platter with some sparkling cider.  Other times, Allen might pick up a little something on the way home.  Or if it will be too late to go without dinner, we might enjoy some dessert and coffee.

Depending on the season, we may sit on the deck, curl up on the couch in front of a video or enjoy the warmth of the fire.

Friday night, after some time in Dallas, Allen got in near 11.  Skipping lunch, I couldn't miss dinner, too, so I ate with the children earlier.  Knowing I had a busy week,  and guessing how exhausted I would be, Allen stopped and picked up supper for us, at our favorite restaurant.  The manager, whom we've come to know, saw him waiting for his order at the hostess desk and inquired where I was.  After Allen explained that he had been out of town and had not even returned home yet, Luis ran to the kitchen and returned with a dessert for us to share.

What a pleasant time we had sitting by the fire and chit chatting well into the morning hours while Allen ate with gusto and I nibbled at my Key Lime Pie.  It doesn't sound like much, but these little moments together are the string that ties hearts together.  And it is just one more little way to say, "I Love You."