Flambe

A story to share: May 2, 2000.  You made plans we would go out to dinner this evening.  I get home from class and we're ready to go, for some reason I drive us to the restaurant in West Des Moines, Mondos.  I order Chicken Marsala, my favorite dish at our favorite restaurant, you order salad.  This really should have tipped me off.  We talk, we laugh, and enjoy each other like we always do.  We finish our meal and I see the waiter leaving the kitchen with a dessert on his tray that has flames, I distinctly remember asking you if that was a flambe dessert, as it came closer and more in view I then remember telling you, that it must be someone's birthday.  All of sudden the waiter stops at our table with this chocolate dessert, candles, a ring and there you are on one knee telling me something.  I honestly do not remember all that you said, though I'm sure you worked on those words painstakingly.  All I know is that I said yes and there was a ring on my finger, I believe we even got applause from the Tuesday night dinner crowd at Mondos.

We left that restaurant as a couple engaged, I drove, and just drove.  We were headed in the right direction, and we just went.  I drove and I remember not knowing exactly where we were and it didn't matter because we were together.

October 1998: Chicago.  A group of us took a trip and it was wonderful.  You knew before I did.  Starbucks.  Chai tea latte.  kindness. the beginning of our story, a story that started before I even knew it existed.  Boone's strawberry hill.

Walnut Street East.  The Good The Bad The Ugly.  QuickTrip.  Chicken feather snow.  The grotto in winter.  "Damn it Feels Good to Be a Gangsta"  Basketball. Maurice Cheeks.

All these memories flood back to me and it makes me miss you so, but I won't let myself cry, well won't let myself cry too much anyway.  I will stop and my last thought will be the first time we shot pool together and you put a quarter in the jukebox and played our song.

I love you handsome man.

take care.