#Spillthebeansonlove - Chapter 32 We get to the restaurant just as the 15 minute grace period for our reservation is closing. The hostess seats us at a super cute, romantic, table for two. I always appreciate it when the table is big enough for dinner and drinks to fit nicely, yet small enough to hold hands while sitting across from one another. On several occasions, I explained to Guapo that I go to restaurants more for the ambiance than the food, as I am a sucker for fabulous decor, perfect lighting, and mood-setting music. We get settled in at our table and he reaches out his hands to hold mine. He looks at me, smiles, and says, ‘the lighting in here is perfect.’ He’s right, it really is, I thought. So do I just jump right in? Do we pick up right where we left off? I mean it’s obviously important to him, he sent four bottles of wine and waited to ask me in person, surely he’s dying to give me his answer. I finish my overthinking and just as I open my mouth to ask him, the waiter appears at our table and introduces himself. I snap out of my own thoughts to say hello to our waiter. We ask for water and a few minutes before looking at the menu. I go for it. Me: And you? Do you want kids? Guapo: I really never did. We take a beat. Me: Oh, ok. I understand where he’s coming from. Being that it took me so many years to want kids, I can completely understand the mindset he may be in. Perhaps he doesn’t want to change his lifestyle? Maybe he can’t picture it, maybe… Guapo: Until about two years ago. That’s when everything changed. I’m not sure what happened specifically, but about two years ago, I realized that having kids was the only thing in my life I had yet to accomplish. Unfortunately, two years ago, I was not with the right person. First I had to change that. Honestly, I’ve been thinking about this for a few years now. Me: Oh! Did you change that? Guapo: Yes. Me: Oh, thank goodness. This could have turned awkward really fast. Guapo: So I guess now that I’ve shared my answer and heard yours, it seems we might be in the exact same situation. Me: Yeah, it does seem like that. Kinda crazy, right? Guapo: Your answer was extraordinary. Me: Nah, I just talk a lot. Guapo: No really. Que Linda. I must tell you that from the bottom of my heart, I’ve never met anyone like you. Me: Ha. Well, thank you. I know I’m a bit eccentric… Guapo: I love it. Needless to say, I don’t remember what we ate that night, because I didn’t really care about the food. I do know, however, that whatever we ordered we split, because we always do, and sharing (in many ways) now seemed to be our new normal. We held hands through dinner as we individually daydreamed about what our new future could look like. This was the beginning of a whole new idea of Elise and a whole new idea of Guapo not to mention a whole new idea of Elise AND Guapo. It gave me butterflies, and I could tell it gave him a sense of calm, contentment, and gentle excitement. As we walked home through the streets of Philadelphia with our hands interlocked and our steps in sync, there were long moments of silence in which we were each savoring the seconds of this monumental evening. For us both, although with very different paths, we had at last found the person with whom we wanted to create life. This newfound comfort was something neither one of us had ever experienced but readily welcomed with our hearts front and center and arms stretched out wide.