Despite a cold that caused him to miss church this morning, my husband surprised me when I got home from service. “Do you want to go to the hockey game this afternoon?”
I cut my eyes to him, thinking about the laundry and the cleaning and the writing that needed done. “I didn’t think you felt well.”
He gave me the smile that melts my resolve, “I’m feeling better, the extra sleep helped. Besides, the kids really want to go. Even Sam has been talking about it since watching so much hockey during the Olympics.”
“But I have so much to do . . .” we both knew I would give-in even before the words were out of my mouth. Actually, we both knew I would give in when he smiled at me, which he did again.
Soon I found myself sitting in the stands, three seats away from Andy. Between us were three kids, dancing and clapping and grinning so big I didn’t even think about the laundry.
He caught my eye over the top of their heads and gave me that smile again. It hit me that this is the first hockey game that I haven’t sat next to him. I looked at the precious bodies between us and realized this is a moment I dreamed about many years ago: having a family together and being able to take them on family outings. Then just as suddenly I wonder how we got old enough to be bringing our three kids to a hockey game.
I glance around and see a young couple a few rows from us. His arm is resting across the back of her seat; he has a sweet smile that I am sure melts her resolve. I wonder if they see us and the dream begins for them. If only they knew it goes by in the blink of an eye.
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I loved this piece. It was a very rounded work and two phrases in particular resonated with me: “I cut my eyes to him” and “melted my resolve”. They are both so emotionally charged, so completely different and both worked so well. [Hope the game was good too.]
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Ruth,
I’m so glad he melted you. What if you missed this moment? Grab for them while they are right there for you!
So romantic!
Bonnie
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Oh, Ruth.Your last comment of “gone in a flash of an eye” is so true. When Wes hugs me, resting his chin on my head or watching him drive away by himself, I wonder the same. I still am holding on to the everyday moments, savoring them as much as possible.
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I think it’s nice that you don’t sit next to one another anymore, but still smile at each other.
The way you wrote this was very heart-warming. I also liked the way you noticed the other folks a few rows apart from you and tried to get into their heads to understand their thoughts.
Very insightful.
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Perfect.
And the interesting thing–a cliche, almost–is that when they’re grown and gone in the second blink of an eye, you look at see them as children, as tiny guys in that hockey game, as well as the grown adults hauling their children around. It’s a lovely circle.
Thanks.
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