Dessert

"I've eaten too much..."
"Me, too." I shifted around in the booth, hoping my food would settle so I could feel more comfortable. "I shouldn't have eaten so much bread and dipping oil."
Sam gave me a twinkly eyed grin. "Yeah."
We had dinner at the Macaroni Grill tonight for the first time. The food was good and we had an animated, humorous conversation.

Sam was particularly pleasurable to look at. He's been absolutely dashing as he goes off to work and I told him so as we walked into the restaurant tonight. He beamed at me a bit shyly but with real pleasure.

The waitress popped over to the table. "How was the food?"
"Terrific!" we chorused in unison.
"And will you be having dessert tonight?"
Sam shot a glance at me. "I'll be having my dessert at home."
"Oh... will that be takeout then?" She began scribbling something on her pad.
"No," Sam said rather deliberately. "I already have my dessert right here." He reached over and patted my hand.
"Oh my goodness!" the waitress chirped. "You're two love birds!"
We smiled and I almost floated out of the restaurant holding Sam's hand. After a kiss in the parking lot, we headed home. There was a young couple getting into a white car next to ours who were left staring at us as we drove away. We hadn't done anything unseemly, we just love each other and love being together.

How can people recognize what love or sweetness is if all they see is illicit, self-serving expressions that have nothing to do with the other person and all to do with what they get out of a situation? That is what television and romance novels would have us believe.

I was taken by surprise by Sam's comment tonight (delightfully so) but I hope that somewhere there are people who saw a middle-aged couple who love one another and whose flirtation and warmth serve as an encouragement to them on their own relationship journey.