Our Moment, Our Movement

I'm realizing that my usual blog writing time is about 8pm Pacific. Usually he comes home from work and we have play time then dinner (or switched depending on the meal) then some quiet time and then he does some work and I check email and write a little. 

I haven't been writing as much this week or last because of big projects. It is just that time in the semester when a lot of stuff is due and I am terrible about completely redoing a story or paper if it doesn't feel just right. Plus two of my professors are kind of hazy about the instructions and what they want! Why do they do this? It makes me work extra hard to do double the work and make sure I get my A. I ALWAYS get my A! 

Husband has been working too hard again which is funny because I pointed that out to him when he told me I am stressing too much over my projects. Spring break is coming up in a week and he told me he wants me to not touch or even log in to the coursework over the break. 

I told him he should do the same for his work but he said he doesn't get a spring break. 

"Business just goes and goes. This is what the man does..." 

He said this as we were driving back from dinner. It's cold and drizzly out and we were stopped at a long light that had just gone red. 

This happy family was walking from their car up to their little run-down apartment. They looked lighter but middle eastern or maybe Armenian. 

It was this dad who looked about my husband's age. He had his tie loosened and his sleeves rolled up. He was carrying a grocery bag and his wife, a plump but pretty lady, was coming up behind him. 

Between the two of them were two little boys, one wearing a bike helmet but without a bike. 

They stopped as the dad opened the gate to their little building. They laughed about something and then the dad held the gate open while the others went through. They looked tired, but happy. They looked like they had a long day but they were ending it all together. They were probably going upstairs to make some dinner and get ready for bed, do homework, watch tv. 

"You will love me if we live in place like that?" my husband asked me. I hadn't realized that he was watching them too. 

The car behind us honked and he noticed the light was green and drove on. 

He turned into the garage for our apartments. It's all new construction with fresh murals decorating the walls of the garage. He pushed the button on the sunvisor and the gate opened so we could get back to our space. 

"Of course I would. I grew up in a building like that. It was fine. We were happy. I married you, not a lifestyle," I told him. 

"You deserve the best," he said as he backed the car into our spot (he LOVES to back into a parking space. Is that a guy thing? I always think it's a waste of time). 

"I have the best. I want to keep the best and not lose him early because he worked himself to death." I don't usually talk to him like that. I cheer him on and make him feel like the big strong daddy, but I hate seeing how hard he pushes himself. 

He looked at me like he hadn't realized I worry about him, like he was just some workhorse for me and not someone I love for more than what he can give me. He nodded and looked a little touched, creased his lips into a smile and took my hand in his and squeezed it then kissed the back of my hand. I hate that he feels so much pressure to build an empire. We just sat there having a quiet moment together. 

It was one of those moments where I was like "Shuck! I gotta write this down! it's a total tearjerker commercial waiting-to-happen!" I imagined it with soft music playing and then ending with a tagline for some product like medication, the mormon church, cheese, or cologne.