My relationship with Buffy was every bit perfect in my book. Like any normal couple, we fight and we argue about little, stupid things. Like how it annoys her that I leave the toothpaste cap off or that I didn't pick up my dirty shirts that fell off the hamper. Her stubbornness would in turn drive me crazy.
Once, she was changing a light bulb in the bathroom but fell and sprained her ankle. I specifically told her to wait for me to come back but she didn't; claiming that she has played handyman at her house for a long time. Or when she got sick and I insisted she sees the doctor which she of course refused, saying sleep would make it all better. Well, it didn't and she ended up in the hospital for 3 days due to high fever.
She never listens!
But after three years together, I was still crazy about her. My heart still skipped whenever I laid eyes on her and my attraction to her only grew overtime. We made hot, passionate love often and there wasn't a day that passed that I didn't tell her that I love her. I was deeply in love and in lust with her.
"So, the fifth season of the show just ended and I gotta say I'm a huge fan. The last episode was a real cliff hanger! Could you give us any insights of what to expect in the sixth season?"
I was doing an appearance on Harry.
"Honestly, I am as clueless as everyone. We're all on our break now and I am not privy to the scripts or story".
"Well, my wife loves the show as well and thinks you are the ideal American husband and whenever we fight or argue, she always says why can't I be more like you?"
The crowd laughs.
"I mean I keep having to remind her that your character is fictional! A few of my friends are facing the same thing. Husbands are getting compared to you. You're seriously ruining the market here, man."
"Well, I aim to please".
"But seriously, your character is this devoted man who loves a woman that doesn't remember him every few days. I mean, playing this character, being this man, was it hard for you?"
"It is challenging and hard for me; portraying the correct emotions and feel to this character. I had the privilege to meet a few couples who actually face this in real life and in reality, it is emotionally draining to be in that position."
"So, there are actually people who face this?"
"Yeah and the number is not small which shocked me. You hear about this and there have been shows and movies being made on this but while doing this show, I actually met these people and the struggles they face are real."
"What was the most challenging thing you had to do?"
I took a moment to think.
"There are so many challenging scenes but I think the one that I remember the most was there was a scene where I woke up in the middle of the night and found my wife not in bed. I was of course worried and went to look for her when I was notified by the local police that she was at the station."
"Yeah, I remember that episode. It was from the season three, right?"
"Yeah, so eventually I went to the station to get her but of course she couldn't remember me and refused to go with me. Stuff happened and eventually I manage to convince her to come home and when she went back to sleep, I went to the living room and cried. That scene where I had to sit there and cry was hard because there were so many emotions rolled into one. I was scared, worried, angry, happy, relieved but at the same time, I was exhausted. So that scene was the most difficult for me. To be able to correctly portray all those emotions by crying was hell for me."
"So, the tears were real?"
"It was! I feel so much for my character. A part of him is exhausted and he could easily give up and throw in the towel but because of the love and devotion he has for his wife, the other part of him so desperately wants to hang on to their marriage and I see it in the couples I met."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's amazing. They are honestly tired and drained but they will fiercely protect the love that they have for their partner who are suffering from the condition."
"The other time I was talking to a friend of mine who is a psychologist and he commented that your show actually helped create awareness for this condition. People who are in the same plight but didn't know how to handle this now know that there is help. You can seek help from doctors and professionals and more people are coming forward to get the help they need."
The crowd applauded.
"I think the credit should go to the people who created this show. When I first started shooting this, I had no idea that there was a community and they are a bunch of amazing people. In fact, some of the show's story lines were inspired by incidents that happened in their lives. I just feel very proud to be able to be a part of this".
"Now, I heard that in the beginning, you were not really keen on doing the show".
I can hear a few gasps in the audience.
"You guys didn't know that? I was shocked too! I mean I cannot imagine anyone else in that character".
I laughed a little.
"Well, you heard right."
"Do share".
"At the time, I was working for like what, 18 years non-stop. I just got divorced and was rebuilding my life. I had plans to take a break and spend time with my kids before taking another job but my agent was telling me that Alan, one of the producers, really wanted me but I was like, no…I really need a break but then…I found out that Buffy was being offered the role of the wife and that was the deal maker".
"So, you accepted the role because of her?"
"Yupe."
"How is Buffy as a co-star?"
"Amazing. We're usually able to grasp each other's emotions and feelings during scenes and we've worked together for a long time so there is a level of familiarity and comfort when I work with her that I don't share with anyone else. She is by far my most favourite co-star."
"Of course that has nothing to do with the fact that she's your co-star in real life too".
There is applause and whistling from the audience as a picture of me with Buffy in my arms appeared on screen and I can't help but smile.
"And the two of you have a son together."
"We do", and the crowd cooed as a picture of my son appeared.
"How old is he?"
"He just turned 2 last week".
"He's the cutest little thing! Who does he take after?"
"Other than the dark hair, he's all Buffy. His eyes, nose, lips even when he smiles…all her", I can't help feeling my heart swell talking about my baby boy.
"Does he still keep you guys up at night?"
"Yeah, he does but weirdly, I don't mind because I love every minute I am with the lil' fella".
"I read somewhere that his name is a tribute to one of your characters."
"His middle name, Blaine was actually a character I played. Buffy and I wanted our son to have our initials 'A' and 'B' so we tossed a few names around and we liked the name Aidan. For 'B', it was a toss between Ben or Bradley but Buffy suddenly thought of Blaine and it just seemed to fit. The name is sentimental to us because I met Buffy while I was playing the character Blaine Mason so when we put it together; Aidan Blaine Callahan, it sounded perfect."
"So, you actually knew Buffy for a long time".
"Yeah, we've been friends for many years".
"I remembered that there were a lot of rumours about the two of you back then…Let's be honest. Were there any truth to those rumours?".
Ugh. I usually hated when they talked about this but I knew Harry wasn't those gossip-hungry reporters and I was informed beforehand by the producers of his show that Buffy and my relationship will be brought up.
"No…there was no truth to the rumours. Buffy and I only got together when our marriages ended."
"What I find amazing is with the popularity you have with your show, you guys kept it under wraps for almost a year! I mean, being someone in the industry I know how hard Jill and I worked to keep our private life away from the public eye…so that our kids could have a normal childhood. How did you manage to remain so tight-lipped about it?"
"That first year, our dates were mostly indoors either my house or hers and even when we were seen together, it was a known fact that Buffy and I were close friends so…people usually don't bat an eyelash when they see us together. But there's no solution or definite steps we take to keep us low. We just don't talk about us publicly…this is actually the first time I'm talking about this so openly and you're right…it takes hard work to keep our private lives private but it comes with this job. Buffy and I have been in this long enough to know that as much as we try to keep things quiet, there are times when we can't. So we just do the best we can and be good parents to our kids and raise them the best way we know how".
"I think it is something all celebrities face when they settle down and have a family. Finding the balance".
"Generally, I try to take questions on my life in stride but Buffy is fiercely private about hers and that's why you will never see her do a tell-all or answer questions about our lives. It's a slice of her life that the public cannot have because it's hers. She doesn't see the need to share it with the world. She decides what she wants or don't want to share."
"So, is she okay with you here sharing with us".
"I think whatever I'm sharing are known facts that if you search on the net, you could probably find".
"Now, I'm pretty certain that the next question has not been addressed before".
"Okay, hit me".
"Are there wedding bells in the near future?"
He's right. The wedding question has been thrown at us a lot but we always ignored it and here it is again.
"I really don't know. I mean, we've both been married before and it didn't work out. All I know is I'm in this for the long haul and what we have now is great. Why spoil something that doesn't need fixing, you know?"
After answering a few more questions, the interview finally ended and having no further schedules, I headed home.
The ride home was filled with thoughts. I had thought about marriage a few times in our time together but Buffy and I have never really talked about it. I just assumed that marriage was a touchy subject for her and truly, we were happy with the way things are.