date, interrupted

Hosanna & I had a big date night. Got all dressed up. Went to a holiday party at my work, followed up by a movie out. We talked, we laughed, we held hands in the theater. Nana put Aria to bed. We got home in such a light mood, for the first time in a while. At the risk of sounding trite, all I can think to say is that it was really, really nice.

As we were getting ready to go to bed, we noticed that all the lights were on in Aria's room. So I just popped in there to turn them out. I've done this dozens of times before. This time, that little light on the nightstand makes a tiny little click. Boom, Aria wakes up. She starts crying. Our date night has evaporated into reality. And since, for whatever reason, Aria only wants Mommy this week, I am banished out of the bedroom while mother & daughter go to sleep. I will go fall asleep on the couch, wake up in a couple hours, go move Aria back to her crib, get in bed, and contemplate my sleeping wife.

These kind of nights are lonely. They are the nights that remind you how much it means to be married and get to crawl into bed with the one you love night after night.