"This is so nice!" Gillian gushed as Cal put the car in to drive and headed up the street, pulling away from their house. "We never get away alone." And by alone she meant specifically: sans children.

"I know," Cal agreed. Precisely why he had organised that they go out for dinner. Alone. Sans children.

"That's why you suggested this huh?"

Cal gave her a quick grin, 'yes', and turned back to the road. Gillian gave an indulgent smile that he didn't see and shifted in her seat so she could lean on his arm; hugging it. Cal shifted his hand to hers and gave it a squeeze. Gillian rested her head on her husband's shoulder and they drove in companionable silence to the restaurant. Cal had picked it out. In fact, he had planned the entire evening and had merely warned her about Saturday night and asked her to get dressed up. He had even organised the boys and the baby sitter. Bless him. Gillian laughed to herself suddenly.
"What?" Cal prompted as he turned the engine off. "Do I smell funny?"

Gillian laughed again. "No," she turned her face towards him, pressing her nose against his shoulder. "You smell good," she murmured. She pressed a kiss against his collar bone, over his shirt.

"Why were you laughin' then?" He looked at her and sounded offended.

"Because I think like you."

"Oh do you now?" Cal asked, his voice high with amusement.

Gillian gave him a nudge with her shoulder. "Not like that. In my head, I was thinking about how sweet you were for setting this all up and I added a 'bless you' which is something that you always say."

Cal chuckled. "Keep goin' with the sweet part."

Gillian gave him another nudge. "Shall we go in?"

"Yeah go on," Cal agreed, reaching to unclip his seatbelt as his wife moved away from him. She took his hand again as she stepped up on the side walk. Cal pulled her close against him as they strolled slowly along.

"What time do we have to be back?"

"Nope," Cal stopped walking suddenly, pulling back on her hand to make her halt too. In these heels, she was just slightly taller than him. Not that he cared. He never had. It wasn't a weird mis-match, his wife being taller than he was. "No talkin' about the kids or work all right? Specially not the kids. This is you and me time." He almost whined but held it together. He stepped closer, pressed a gentle kiss to her mouth, felt her warm response. "You and me," he murmured. "You know," he encouraged.
She nodded against the press of their foreheads. "I know."

And Cal wondered if she did. She was the one to come to him requesting that every so often they make just a little bit of effort for their marriage's sake; so that it didn't get stale. This was his first grand gesture. He hoped she understood that, recognised it for what it was. Not that he was just out to earn himself brownie points, absolutely not. What he was trying to say was 'it's important to me too'.

Cal gave her another quick kiss and started walking again, tugging her along until she quick-stepped to prevent it. Her hand was warm in his and he felt a little pang of loss when he had to let it go to let her into the restaurant and slip out of her coat. But really, he considered that a good thing. He wanted to feel warm when she was near, and seek out the scent of her when they were close, and be disappointed when he couldn't hold her hand anymore, or grouch about getting out of bed in the morning, not because he had to get up and start the day, but because he had to roll away from her. He wanted to be in love with his wife. He was in love with his wife. And she was right, that took work to keep up.

They sat and ordered wine and then they were left alone. Cal glanced at Gillian's hand on the table top. Her wedding ring flashed in the light as she fidgeted with the edge of her menu. She was telling him something. Oh shit and he was so not listening.

"Cal?"

"I'm sorry luv," he looked up and met her eye.

She gave him a slight smile, her blue eyes dark in this light, but flashing with amusement or flattery. "You were staring."

Cal shook his head a little. "Yeah, sorry, what were you sayin'?"

"I was saying, I've heard good things about this place."

"Oh yeah?" Cal raised his eyebrows in nonchalance, but inside, he was pleased. He had done right. "From who?"

"A friend," Gillian leaned forward on the table. Cal glanced down her front. She clasped her hands together and the light caught her ring and Cal glanced at that too.

"You look amazin'."

Gillian gave him a smile. "Thank you. I'm glad we did this."

Cal returned her smile. "Me too," he repeated. It was just dinner... but still... "Course, you know what year it is, don't you?"

Gillian's smile didn't fade. "Um, twenty twenty-one."

Cal almost rolled his eyes.

"Are you ready to order?" A waiting staff member asked politely, delivering their wine glasses. Cal thought they should have just gone for it and got the bottle.

"Oh we haven't even looked," Gillian gave the young woman a smile. "Give us five minutes?"

"Not a problem," the waiter smiled politely in return and moved on again.

Gillian tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her wedding ring catching the light again and Cal, a moth to the flame. When her hand came back to her menu to open it Cal reached across to grasp her fingers. She looked up at him, a little startled and Cal hoped that had nothing to do with the hand-holding in general and just because she had not seen him coming.

"This year," Cal tried again. "I don't rememba when, sorry. Maybe you do?" Gillian raised an eyebrow and waited. "You and me. We met twenty years ago."

Gillian's lips twitched. "You remember that?"

Indignant: "I've not forgotten everythin'."

"You know, I don't really remember either," Gillian mused lightly, squeezing his fingers slightly. "I mean, I remember the day but not what time of year it was."

Cal watched her face but it seemed to be the truth and he was only interested in her facial cues, not because he thought she might lie, but just in case she felt the need to tell him a white one to save his ego. Ok so he was checking to see if she was lying but not because he didn't trust her, he just didn't want her to remember something from their life that he didn't.

"Must have been the Fall?" Gillian mused, rubbing her thumb over the back of her husband's hand. "It was cold a few months later."

"Hm," Cal agreed.

"I remember the moment I first say you," Gillian leaned forward and lowered her voice as if this were a secret. "And I remember being so mad at you."

Cal grinned. "I remember thinkin' you were incredibly beautiful."

"You did not," she scoffed. "You barely gave me a second glance."

"Self-preservation."

Gillian gave him an unimpressed expression. She still had ideas about neat tidy feelings and what was inappropriate. "So we're celebrating?" Gillian leaned further forward but her voice gained its normal volume again.

Cal gave a slight smile. "Yeah." He reached back for his wine and raised it. Gillian clinked her glass against his gently, all smiles tonight, so many beautiful smiles. They sipped, Cal sighed. "Have I mentioned you look amazin'?"

"You have, but keep going," Gillian responded with yet another smile.