The Unmarried Married Couple

Written March 26, 1998

I met him on the stairs so he wouldn't go inside the house. I didn't like fighting with him in front of my family. If we did fight, I'd hear about it later from Beth about how I was "just like Jane". Or I'd be told, "You're heading for Jane and Sid's marriage." I'd never be like my mother, and I vowed never to marry. I was an independent woman who knew what she wanted and where to get it. Besides, we weren't always fighting.
"Why don't you have your coat on?" he started in. His face had fallen and disgust entered his voice. He left his car running because he had counted on me being ready to fly out the door.
I began with my standard line, "I already told you." I don't know of anyone who needs things repeated more often than he does. He wouldn't remember what he did yesterday without a hint. "I'm going with my family today," I said, making sure there was a hardness in my voice.
"But you were supposed to come see me today. Today was our day." His shoulders sagged, and he looked away from the house.
I groaned. Leave it to him to start a temper tantrum in front of my house when he wasn't getting his way. "I see you every day. My family wants me to go with them today."
Then he moved into his pout phase. He's a rather tall man, around 6'3", and weighs in at 190. Pouting like a 4-year-old should have looked ridiculous, but his eyes were always telling me how sincere he was. When he tries to make me feel guilty about making other plans, he'll stick out his lower lip and look up at me with his baby blues from under his heavy dark eyelashes. He approached me closer with his sad puppy dog face and moved his hands to my hips, pulling me towards him. I still had my arms crossed. To soften his demands, he stooped to meet me eye level.
"Baby, why don't you wanna spend your birthday with me?" He pouted his full lips and used his helpless soft voice. He took one of my hands and placed it lovingly on his smooth cheek, nuzzling it between kisses, rubbing his stubby bearded chin into my palm. Normally I laugh at any guy with a goatee, but I couldn't help but think it looked good on him. It made his baby face look almost grown up.
"You know you have me tomorrow. My family really wants to do this." My voice had softened, and I was already talking to him like he was my sweet baby. I was trying to whine just enough to get him to realize I had made up my mind already. I knew he could be persuaded as long as I didn't overdo it.
He tried to pull me to his car - "I left it running for us" - but I convinced him to sit on the steps, cuddling me in his lap. I caught a faint whiff of his aftershave which meant he had just worked on his goatee. He knew I was allergic to it and didn't wear it when he knew I'd be around.
He stayed only a few more minutes. When he realized I was not giving in, he began to talk about his plans for tomorrow.
"I got lots of surprises for you. And don't forget our romantic dinner I'm preparing tomorrow."
This man could cook! I tend to burn everything from toast to frozen pizzas. That was the one thing I was looking forward to. Otherwise, I was a little weary.
"I've got you all to myself tomorrow. You're mine," he promised himself as he stepped off the porch still holding my hand. He tried to pull me with him, but he didn't really think I'd come. I easily took my hand back.
I silenced his yet unspoken pout with a kiss goodbye.