We left the house and headed toward a restaurant because that’s how most of our dates begin. Halfway there, however, we realized we weren’t actually hungry. Thanks to Desiree, we had second breakfast, lunch, teatime, and dinner on our trip. The snacks were supposed to be for her, but she kept feeding them to us. Sophia tried to explain we didn’t want any, but she threw a fit when we refused. I think because she wasn’t able to be close to us for a long time, and she’s used to us eating together, she was a little frustrated. (sigh) We’re officially toddler parents who give into their child to keep the peace. In the future, we’ll find a better way to deal with it, but two and a half hours is a long time with a screaming toddler.
Since we weren’t interested in food, we needed to find another activity, so I suggested a night club. This city is full of them, so one wouldn’t be hard to find. We could get a little tipsy and do something crazy. Sophia wasn’t interested in that scene, however. She said she just wanted to be with me. I should have expected she’d say something along those lines—she’s simple like that, and I love her for it.
I constructed a quick plan, and we doubled back toward the park. It was quite large; maybe as big as Gibbs Garden back home. Walking and talking around such beauty seemed like the perfect way to spend our night with dancing, eating, and drinking off the table. There was a huge fountain at the entrance of the park, so I stopped there to give her the flowers I bought and kick off our evening. She was so excited, you would have thought I proposed to her again or something. I love making her smile. It is the life force that fuels my very existence. Without it… I don’t even want to know what that’s like.
With a very happy lady on my arm, we start toward the entrance, but Sophia’s glee slowly drifted into something akin to worry. When I asked what was the matter, she began spiraling deep into the mommy guilt pit. Desiree has been with one or both of us every second of her life. How is she handling being in a strange house with strange sims without us? We trust Dub and Maia, but Desi barely knows them. Before she went too deep into the rabbit hole, I reminded her of her own words she said to me just the other day. We made a promise to each other to always make time for us, no matter what. Sometimes “no matter what” will mean leaving Desi with someone so we can have a moment. She may not like it, but she’ll get over it. If we keep planning our lives around what’s comfortable for her, we’ll never spend time together because she’s kind of obsessed with us.
“You mean we are obsessed with her,” she said, winking at me.
I chuckled.
“It’s…a mutual obsession. Desi is fine. You remember how she was with Yasmine’s girls. I bet she’s not even thinking of us right now because she and Tami are knee deep in toys. And we know Dub and Maia will take good care of her.”
She nodded and seemed to shake off the bad vibes that tried to strangle her.
“You’re right. I know these things. I guess I didn’t think it would hit me like this.”
“It’s natural. Don’t beat yourself up. You’re a good mom, and she knows it.”
We finally enter the park and check out the path for the trail to make sure we went the right way. Ciudad Enamorada was such a big city, and this park was like a little oasis right in the middle of it. Beautiful trees with shockingly bright purple leaves contrasted the greenery really nicely. I thought the Arboretum was something, but this place was an entirely different animal. I was so glad we took this walk instead of going to a club. Just being outside for longer than 10 minutes was enough to clear my head and make tonight worth Dub’s sacrifice. The scenic trail and nice weather were the perfect companions for our stroll. Neither of us needed words. When we got a quarter of the way around, however, a simple question popped into my head. It had the potential to poke a bear, but I had to ask it and hoped to spark another intimate moment, not a fight.
“Are you happy?”
Her forehead wrinkled a bit.
“Of course I am. Why would you ask that?”
“It’s a fair question. I’ve been thinking about what you said the other day, and I realize I assume a lot of things about you.”
She cocked her head, puzzled and trying to figure me out.
“I never actually ask how you’re feeling, so you could be secretly depressed for all I know. Life has been really crazy, and it hasn’t turned out how we thought it would. Are you still happy?”
She grinned.
“Awww, Luca! Baby, you know how simple I am. As long as we’re together, I’m happy! Life happens. I’m a big girl. I can handle when life throws curve balls. Don’t worry so much! You’ll know if I’m not happy.”
“I’m not worried. I just realize I need to be more intentional about things.”
“Like what?”
“Making sure you feel loved and appreciated.”
“If there is anything I know for sure, it’s that you love and appreciate me.”
“I’m not perfect, though. There’s always room to improve.”
“I don’t want perfect, Luca. I want you.“
Ha! I see she also enjoyed Dub and Maia’s vows. What did I do to deserve such a loving, supportive, and understanding woman? Is she my reward for all those years of confusion and hurt?
“And, uhhh,” she continued, “whenever you think about improvement, you come get me.”
Okay, it’s official. I’ve thought it before, but it’s undeniable now. My wife is way hornier than me, and I am NOT mad about it. Why can’t we be at home right now?? I feel some improvement coming on.
