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"thanks jere." i chirp as i kiss my little suz goodbye, conrad sliding his hand around my hips.
"yeah, get out of here." he shooes us away, and i giggled as conrad pulls me towards the door.
he's in a nice shirt and blue jeans, and i have my nicest sun dress on.
we were going on a date night.
with suz now just over a year old, quality time has been a strain. a struggle. impossible.
jere didn't even need to be asked, he showed up this afternoon, told us to get dressed up and out of the house by 6. no questions asked.
this is why i love this family.
"plans?" i raised a brow at my love, who shrugged.
"i can't think of a possible thing we could do." we both giggled, used to being consumed with our child, not ourselves.
he pulled me toward the car, and leaned in for a kiss. slowly, my back leaned onto the car behind me, and we shared a moment.
"we could just do this." i smiled, opening my eyes.
conrad smiled too, but shook his head, "i'm not sure this is what jere had in mind."
he walked me around, opening my door. i curtsied dramatically, and took a step forward to get in. his arm blocked my entrance though, and i leaned back again.
he leaned in for another kiss. i laughing into it, but kissed him all the same.
"sorry, can't help it." he giggled. he did that every time.
well, he used to.
before we had kids, we had rituals like that. but now, too worried our rebellious child wasn't buckled in tight or having to rush to the next event because we were already five minutes late... there were no time for extra kisses.
that's what made these nights special. conrad would kiss me anytime he got the chance.
he did so at our first red light, and even at the second. he pecked me cheek and i turned up the music. our first dance song, poetry by wrabel, was on. i smiled over at him. he did the same.
we sang the lyrics loudly as he pulled into the nicest restaurant in town. i turned it down, and he helped me out of the car in my heels.
"i still see poetry in your eyes, dear." he squeezed my hand tightly, and i smirked over at him.
"you're still the reason we rhyme." i continued, and he rested his head in my shoulder as we walked in.
"date night?" the hostess smiled fondly at us, and i nodded. we had seen her a few times before, on special occasions like this.
"even wives still deserve fancy dates." conrad swung his arms around my chest, and i laughed loudly.
"he's too good to me."
"well, let us be good to you guys, tonight. we have the finest table reserved for y'all. some one called in a favor." she leaned forward, whispering. i raised my eyebrows, and conrad looked down at me.
"jere?" i questioned.
"how did he know?" conrad whispered in my ear.
"i mean, this is the nicest place in town." i said gently as we walked, "and we have told him how much we love this place."
conrad just laughed, and rushed to pull out my chair as i sat.
we had a lovely evening. talking about memories and small talk and would you rather questions, it was making me realize i hadn't taken time to get to know my husband again in a really long time. we were both changing, and growing so much, being parents. time flew, and soon one day we'll be old and our children will be wise, and i want to still know the man i'm next to.
it's too easy to slip away into life. to take it all for granted.
"what was your first impression of me?" mixed into the craziest would you rather session i think we've ever done, conrad threw out this question.
one i actually had to think about.
"well, when i didn't know you, i thought you were a glutton for drama." he snorted, and i nodded, "it's true. i saw the way you all looked at each other, and i heard about all the drama-" i just shook my head, "i thought you all were crazy."
conrad sipped his drink, nodding, "i know all that stuff." his eyes glimmered in the mood lighting of the restaurant, it was very charming, "but after that, like, the first time we met."
i raised a brow, "ok. the first time we met, you had been pounding chardonnay and basically told off my father."
he dropped his hand down on the table, causing a loud thump, "ok, babe." he gave me a look, "like met met. like, first conversation." he startled in his seat, "like that time i came into the boat for a coke! i think that was the first time we actually spoke to each other."
i raised my eyes, "wow. i cant believe you remember that." he nodded, smirking.
"i just remember the way you looked at me, in hindsight, there was definitely something there." he pointed a loaded finger at me, "but back then, i'm not so sure i realized it."
i thought for a moment, but a smile ended up escaping my lips.
"yeah, i think i looked for a second too long."
"yeah you did." conrad smirked across at me, and i kicked his shin under the table. he just chuckled.
"i never had really realized you had a dimple when you smiled, or that your hair was longer than it had been past years." i smiled, reminiscing on the old days where i was- we were, so innocent, "so much so that i didn't even hear what you asked me."
"yes!" conrad snapped, "that too! i remember. you were so checking me out!"
i gasped, "conrad fisher! i was not!" i felt my cheeks go red, even after all these years, "i was, just," i stumbled for words, "looking." conrad cracked up, and i just stabbed my chicken, "there was a lot to see! turns out looking at someone from a distance so long," i shrugged, slumping back in my chair, "proves how different someone can really be up close."
"macedonia fisher," he leaned forward, staring me deep in the eyes, and my heart fluttered at this moment, "you were checking me out."
he received another kick to the shin.
"oh yeah? and you weren't so sly," conrad leaned back in his chair as i leaned forward in my rant, "with your little, oh," i took on a dramatic conrad-like manner, deepening my voice and sitting up straighter, "macee fits you better." he clapped as he laughed at me, "i might have stared too much, but you said too much buddy."
conrad nodded his head, satisfied at my outburst, "ah yes. i knew i had said too much then." we smiled at each other for a second or two, "but i remember not regretting it."
i bit the inside of my cheek, "me neither."
we smiled at each other some more.
"i'm in love with you." he muttered softly, but loud enough for me to hear it over the chatter of the dinner rush, "macee fisher, i am so in love with you." i felt my cheeks go red again, "i know we're married now, and we have kids of our own, and life goes by in flashes and soon we'll be old and grey," he shook his head, "but i am in love with you. and i will be then, too. i was when i met you, i can see that now. and if it's grown every day since, i can't wait until we're 90, and everything i am will just be filled with more love for you. oh, what a feeling that will be."
i twisted my fork on my now empty plate, and held eye contact with my husband.
"i'm not sure how i could ever love you more than i do right now," he swallowed thickly, "but that is the magical thing about loving you macedonia," he leaned forward to grab my hand with his, "somehow, there's always more to be discovered with you."
my eyes were teary, and cheeks still red, but all i could do was stare.
"dessert?" the waiter appeared next to me, and conrad hesitated to look away from me.
"uh, no, i think we'll just have the check now."
"oh, sir," the waiter seemed to beam, "you're meal has been paid for by jeremiah fisher."
my face went slack, and conrad looked back over at me.
i snorted, and conrad leaned his head back in laughter. we thanked the waiter, and conrad helped me up.
"come on, beautiful," he slung his arm around me, "let's get you some ice cream."