20th Aniversary

Twenty years...
For me, now longer with him than without him. 
Long enough to forget the lonesomeness of without, to cease thanking every day for the blessing of love.
He is familiar, known, and expected, like my arm, elbow, or ear. 
Hard things have come.... and gone.... and come.
Yet here we are still, together. 
Deonne offers her love through a gift of a night to celebrate. 

It is fitting that it is where we spent our happiest newlywed years.

Every corner holds a memory, a smile. 

We hike the Wellsvilles, sniffing the sumac, listening to the birds.
Just like 20 years ago, my knees have collapsed and he must hold me up to make the climb. 
We sit at the marble mirrored bar for a chocolate soda.
We stuff ourselves with Victoria Rum Chocolates.
We wander through labrinths of musty books at Books of Yesteryear. 

I am glad that we still have so much in common. 

At Sherwood Hills, we swim, alone and happy.
We dine, then sleep... restfully, quietly.

Then back to the three that depend upon our union for their security. 
It was enough.