A/N: One more chapter before the big chapters! I'm not counting down or anything…
Sometimes this whole "investigating what the hell Vincent Marsh was doing to cause his death thing" really makes me feel crazy. Between fake meetings and fake dates, part of me is craving the end of this just so we can get back to real meetings and real dates.
I knew taking this job would mean date nights would be few and far between and I already knew the few date nights we would get would be different when we moved in together but there's something I miss so much about dinner in a dimly lit restaurant. I don't think we're at a point where we need those times to feel connected or keep a spark in our relationship, but I miss them. I think it's kind of natural to.
This trip is a bit of uncharted territory for my team. Certain events were acceptable to have Henry by my side, others weren't. I get it, he's not my spouse and my divorce is seen differently in each country that we're visiting but I know it didn't necessarily make it easy for anyone involved.
I'm so thankful he understands. He knows if it was up to me that I'd want him by my side for everything. It was a bit tricky to make sure there were enough events stuffed into our schedule that required his attendance to make sure he was there for everything we're doing behind the scenes but I think we made it work.
We decided on New York for our anniversary trip and this one feels like a warm up. Yes, there's work to do on this trip, but it's our first real trip together and I just know he's going to find ways to keep me pleasantly surprised. While we have public and private work to do, I know he won't let that be the focus of every moment of our trip. We've got long days ahead… and I hope the nights are just as long.
He isn't the only one who has some surprises up his sleeve. I guess this is one of the perks of having an assistant who gives no judgement and never tells me no. I arranged a private tour of the cathedrals in and around Caracas for him while I'm stuck in private meetings. Later that evening, I'm surprising him with a couples massage and I've made sure that the rest of the evening will be uninterrupted.
I'm not the romantic one in the relationship. He's always been the sentimental and romantic one. I appreciate it, I just don't necessarily think to initiate it myself. I think he was surprised by that at first, but my idea of romance isn't always candles and rose petals. It was amazing how quickly he picked up on my unique romance language.
Maybe it's just him… maybe it's the little things he does that make me fall more in love with him. He brings me coffee in bed on the rare weekends that I get to sleep in, he always make sure there's something else in the fridge to sneak and eat if Ali decides to try and make dinner, and he always make sure I have a snack in my bag if he thinks I'm going to have a long day. My bag is as full of pretzels and protein bars as my heart and soul are full of love for him.
He says all the time that he's the lucky one but he's not, I am. I'm the one who works all the time, who easily forgets the little things, who calls on him to do things that should be my responsibility… and he still wakes up every day and loves me. He's still the one that surprises me with dinner and a much needed romantic evening while in the middle of investigating the death of someone who basically changed the entire course of his life.
I am so mind blowingly lucky.
