September 16, 2004

You will wake up...quietly...and gently roll toward me as I drift in and out of the residue of our night’s sleep. You’ll softly slide a strong arm across my body and whisper very quietly, “I love you, my Fish.” and I’ll wake up now...fully. I return your gaze and for a split second I revel in how secure I feel having you next to me every morning.

Before I can say “good morning” you’ll kiss me.

You’ll lay there as I slip from the sheets...heading for the bathroom and my fuzzy blue bathrobe. You’ll find your glasses and slip them on. Before I can slide my arms into the warmth of my robe, you’ll quietly say to me, “ah Fish...I love to watch your naked body.” I’ll shush you and hide my secret delight in all the ordinary things that encompass our mornings. I’ll speak to the cats, feed my fish, turn on computers, find my slippers.

You will rise while I am puttering about and slip into your pants and shirt...probably the ones from yesterday. You are casual like that...generally uninterested in mundane things...already organizing the day in your mind, and I wonder if you will remember?

I’ll return from the bathroom but you’ll be gone. Down the stairs to the kitchen...making the coffee and cutting up fruit. You fix these things for me every day...spoiling me and making me wonder how I managed to survive mornings until you came along. I stumble down the stairs behind you...tripping over cats as they scramble to be let out for their own morning rituals. You are busy in the kitchen...always in a good mood as you slice and dice bits of cantaloupe and banana. Rustling about and slipping bread into the toaster...the toast you make for me every morning...a ritual between us that I so often forget to thank you for.

I chase cats and study the paper while you finish up in the kitchen. The weather is not very nice out so instead of sitting together on the patio, we meet at the dining room table. We sit in companionable silence...cats enjoying their romp outside, you munching on your granola and reading the paper...me sipping my coffee, finishing my toast, and getting lost in a sale catalog. Two crazy old kinksters...finding comfort and harmony in the predictability of each other.

Breakfast finishes all too quickly. “Time to head up, fish,” you say to me. Sighing, I nod my head. You smile, reach over and take my face in your hand. “I do you love, you know,” you say.

Cats are herded in, dishes are rinsed out, and coffee mugs are refilled. We both head up to our desks to tackle another day that demands we fulfill obligations regardless of… well…

You pull out your chair and I pull out mine. We both rev up our respective computers for yet another day of working and websites. I am smiling secretly now...a smile you can’t see as we sit back to back. I still have not mentioned your birthday...I still don’t know if you have realized it and chosen not to say anything. I almost hope you are a bit sad thinking I have forgotten.

For I have not forgotten, my dear Fisherman. And when you crank up your computer and head to the Sagacity website to check on how things have gone overnight, you will find this offering from me....and you will know that I would never forget such an important day...or the man that makes it so important.

Happy Birthday, my Fisherman...I love you