Date Night

It happens on a Friday night. Because there's nothing better than ending a stressful week at work than spending it with the one you love. And because you know how I've always felt cheated whenever everyone at work had plans and I didn't. So you'd give me this.

And you will impractically brave the traffic to fetch me from work, all the way from Fort to Manila. Because you know how much I love grand gestures and I'll find this gesture grand enough that you won't have to wait a minute more once you reach our company's compound. I'll be waiting for you by the gate, giddy and excited because it's been five days since we last saw each other. 

I'll let you pick where we eat because you gave me that choice the last time. Because that's what couples do, give and take. And I won't even complain about your choice. Because I will find you leading me to that restaurant that I told you about last week and said I wanted to try.

Dinner will be a simple affair. Because we don't need complicated foreign dishes like steak au poivre or cocido madrileno or prosciutto di parma. All we need are dishes that remind us of home. We'd eat with gusto, never mind that we just said last week that we'd have to start dieting. 

Afterwards, we'd walk, and we'd talk. Because we never run out of things to share with each other. We'd talk about work, family and friends. We'll build on our dreams and plans. We'd discuss our future. And if we ever do run out of things to say, we'll welcome the silence. Because just as we embrace the words and the thoughts between us, we are also content in just staying still, holding each other with the peace only love can bring.

And then you'll bring me home, and you'll probably stay for coffee because my parents invite you to. And then I'll lead you to door. But before you leave, I'll hold you back one last time. And I will tell you that I love you. 

And it's not because the night was perfect. Even if the night ended differently, probably with an argument over a petty thing but something that really mattered to us, I probably still would have told you that I love you. And I won't tell you because I had a great time. I could have done that dinner with friends but I wouldn't have told them I love at them. And I definitely would not tell you I love you because I think that's what you expect me to. You know I don't take things like this lightly.

I'd tell you that I love you because I just do. I just love you, simple and true.