Happy Day

The only wedding picture I could find quickly.

Eight years ago loving husband and I got hitched.

Okay, so it was a little more romantic than that. We had a small wedding at a pretty B&B with a beautiful and delicious cake from Sweet Life Patisserie. Ah, memory lane.....

There I am waiting in the pretty upstairs hallway in my wedding gown, holding my flowers. Cue the bride music, so I start down the stairs walking slowly and gracefully as a bride should. (Don't worry, I'm not going to trip, though that would've made a good story too.) I hear laughter from the waiting guests. Enter the lovely bride, lots of talking, loving husband says vows, I squeak my way through mine because I'm trying not to cry in front of all of the people. We give family necklaces and say family vows to the lovely ladies. Lovely lady with autism, then 4, won't come out of the corner, so loving husband quietly goes to the corner with her necklace. Talking, a prayer, kiss and it's a done deal.

As I'm wandering around with cake in my hand, Peaches and Cream (man, that was good cake!), my mother-in-law said something like, "I can't believe that happened!" She sounded a little indignant. But we were both too distracted by food and friends for me to say, "What happened?"

Then neighbor lady walks up and starts apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, I am so embarrassed. I can't believe he did that! I just wanted to crawl into a hole!"

I'm a little startled, naturally. Not sure I even want to ask. "Did what?"

Her son, then eleven-ish, is autistic. We'd often see him wandering in his yard or down the sidewalk wrapped in a sheet or the like. It seemed to make him feel a little more comfortable. He was also an avid Star Wars fan. Still is, I think.

The bride music came on, heads turned in eager anticipation of my graceful bridal entrance....and in walks Darth Maul. This guy. Not so bride-like, huh?

I started laughing. "Did anyone get a picture?" I managed to squeeze out between giggles.

Less than a month later, loving husband and I were expecting the eldest of the fine young gents. That pretty much killed the romance. It's hard to be all lovey-dovey when you look green and pasty and feel like barfing every time someone even looks at you.

Fast forward eight years and three more children.

"It's our anniversary in three weeks," I said three weeks ago. "Wanna do something?"

"Sure," said loving husband.

"Do you want to buy gifts and all that?" I asked, looking at him kind of sideways.

"I dunno. Do you?" Sideways look back.

I hemmed and hawed. "Um, not really. Is that bad?"

"No, I don't want to either. Let's just go to dinner."

And that was that. Romantic Couple of the Year, that's us.

"So, we've been married eight years and we still like each other," I said to loving husband this evening at dinner. (Thai food, Ring of Fire. We used to go there when we were dating.)

"Yep," he grinned.

"Good for us. Well, thought I'd better squeeze in a little romance talk since it's our anniversary. Enough mush. Let's talk about something else." And we did.

I don't need jewelry. I don't need fancy dinners or flowers or things wrapped in shiny paper. I have a husband who listens to me and understands me and likes me. I like him too.

Life is good.