Love’s Wisdom … or, a Case of the Uglies

I did a crossword puzzle while he solved his Rubik’s cube, tuning back in to admire each other’s work every now and then. A few hours later, after a chest x-ray and some more monitoring, I was told I had a sprained chest muscle. My boyfriend and I left the ER and trudged back to the car just as the sun was beginning to break through the horizon. We hobbled our way home and back into bed.

I took the morning off from work today to recuperate. I kept an eye on his medication, and he, mine. We continued to call and check up on each other throughout the afternoon. I returned to his apartment after work with flowers to brighten up the living room, and he surprised me with my favorite ice cream. We relaxed into each other, tender and grateful, back to the oasis of the living room couch.

Now, looking at him while he’s sleeping, I realize how I truly, tenderly, fully love this man. I expected to be the strong one, the one in control, and without warning had to be vulnerable as well. Tomorrow he’ll be back on his feet, and I’ll be back for a full day of work, but right now it’s just the two of us, cocooned, and safe. I feel as if we’ve gone a significant layer deeper in the relationship, where everything isn’t so poised and polished. I trust him and our connection now more than I ever have. I guess “the uglies” can be a pretty beautiful thing.