Not Just In The Movies

Chris and I share a passion for exploration. Now that we both work downtown and carpool, it's become easier to explore together on a whim. As of late, our explorations have taken a romantic turn (not with each other...well okay we are with each other but it's not...oh nevermind). Last night, we took a quiet stroll through downtown against a blood crescent moon. (Normally such romantic gestures might raise eyebrows, but we have been bestfriends for 9 years. While I have other bestfriends, none can claim the time and depth of understanding that he can. Although he's declared his love for me from the first day he met me, I have never returned the sentiment, and thus here we are 9 years later, the best of friends.)

Tonight, our curiosity took us back downtown. He wanted to show me an international friendship garden he'd found. We parked and started to walk....and walk...and walk...after the first mile, an aching back (damn scoliosis) and a few knats up my nose, I began to rethink this venture. But the evening was quiet, and I could not argue with the serenity of the river and the lights of the Kentucky shore. Three miles later, we sat in the middle of the garden for a chat. He massaged my back while we spoke up our most frequent topic: love. Chris hadn't eaten all day, so we stopped by Montgomery Inn for dinner. The glass pane reflected the nighttime glow of the river and the low lamp glowed on our faces as we ate.

By the time we headed back, it was completely dark and I was glad for the invention of light. Our stroll along the river took us through Sawyer Point (a large park). Along our walk, the path broke every few steps with a cove that stood closer to the river, illuminated by a tall street lamp. Chris was chatting about the history of our city, but I became distracted by a stir in one of the coves. A young couple were holding each other. The girl threw her head back in a soft laugh, and they began to dance....slowly...to the music of their own hearts. A few coves later, an older couple stood silently forehead to forehead in the shadows, gazing with eyes just for the other. We saw a few more couples, one hand in hand, another holding wine goblets and toasting to a new life.

I found myself wondering what it was like to be romanced like that and wishing I were them. I thought of Jason and wondered if he'd ever do anything like that for me. I thought of his warm, protective hands and the soft spot on his temples that I love to smell and kiss. I wished he didn't live so far away, that we weren't so busy, and that we spent less time arguing and more time sweeping each other off his/her feet.

But at least now I know. I know that the nose-to-nose, heart-to-heart, hand-in-hand, dance in the moonlight, throw your head back and laugh, kind of love does exist. And not just in the movies.