Bittersweet Symphony

As with all things military, the game has been "hurry up and wait" since Stonecold broke the news that he's leaving. "When" has been the big question. Now we know it will be sometime around the end of the month. He found out yesterday. I cried again.

We talked about the whole "date/non-date" issue from last week. He was appalled that I would actually consider the dinner thing a date. It's a conference. It's a dinner at a conference. And to him, it is not anything remotely appropriate to consider a date. I believe his exact words were "I'd throttle my kid if he tried to call going to a conference dinner a date".

But here is the news...he asked me on a real, true, respectable, honest to God DATE! He got nervous. It was adorable. He fidgeted. We're going to the symphony on Friday. We're getting dressed up. I'm getting my nails done. After a year, we're going on our first date. On Friday. To the SYMPHONY!!! How fantastically wonderful is THAT for a first date? Can you tell I'm a little giddy? It's also the first real date I've been on in a very long time. I'm unreasonably nervous.

We also had the "dating" conversation again. To recap, his definition of dating is "seeing someone with the expectation of more". We're not dating by his definition. We can't be dating by his definition. There can be no expectations of more because he's leaving. And that makes me cry.

As with life there are the ups and the downs. And sometimes when they go as planned you don't like the plan once it happens. We've done the whole thing bassakwards. But we're going on a date. And it will be fantastic. Even if I use the wrong fork. Even if I have a bad hair day. Even if my shoes are uncomfortable or I break a nail. It will be fantastic not because of the symphony, and not because I get to get all dressed up. But because I get to go on a real date with the man I adore before he leaves.