Our Love Story: The Nutcracker

For the next two weeks, Honey and I spent a lot of time together. We did all of the things that new couples enjoy, like going to the movies, trying different restaurants and hearing live music. But we were not like other couples that had just started in their new relationship. Honey and I had already been friends for a year. We already knew a lot of each other's secrets, knew how to make each other laugh and even knew how to get under each others skin.

December was a very full month for us. Not only was it Christmas and New Years, but it's also his birthday. And prior to my return to San Francisco, he had already arranged a two week trip away during Christmas. The start of his trip was in Vegas to celebrate his birthday with 16 of his guy friends and then 12 days in Peru with his sister.

We had just spent a 5 months apart and it took us a year to be together and I wasn't looking forward to us being apart, even if it was only for two weeks.

Honey surprised me with my holiday present, which was opening night tickets to see the Nutcracker ballet in San Francisco. This was a huge sign of how much he cared for me because he was trying to make me happy. I love the ballet and danced for a long time, but was currently out of commission due to my knee and wasn't sure if I would be able to dance again. I got 'all dolled up' in a satin wine colored, floor length, dress and gold ballet shoes. I felt like a Princess when he saw me for the first time and seemed speechless standing at the bottom of the stairs.

The Nutcracker, which was at the San Francisco Opera House, was a spectacular night. The ballet was beautiful and it made me so happy to be there. I watched the performance with a smile on my face from ear to ear. I sat on the edge of my seat and wanted to get on stage and dance with the performers. Honey held my hand, made me feel so special and took care of me the whole night. I looked around at the audience to see the children that had been brought there to make their childhood memories of seeing the Nutcracker. The little girls had on their best dresses, ribbons in their hair and black patent shoes.

To remind me of this night Honey bought me a Nutcracker snow globe from The Opera House ballet store. I vividly remember this store because there was a little girl dancing because she was getting a nutcracker ornament. Her mother smiled at us and said that she had had a rough night and was glad to see her happy. During the ballet performance, she was sick and threw up. By the time we saw her at the ballet store, she was smiling.

Ah the magic of the Nutcracker...

Honey's flight to Vegas was the next day. He came to my apartment to say goodbye. I started to get emotional and my eyes filled with tears as we kissed goodbye. I could see in his eyes that he didn't want to leave me too. I wanted him to have a good time in Vegas (not too much fun) and he deserved an amazing time in Peru, but I was enjoying being with him so much.

As we were kissing goodbye, he told me that he was going to visit Lake Titicaca. My Grandfather, who had died six years earlier, had always wanted to see Lake Titicaca mostly because he laughed every time he said the name. My Grandfather never got his wish. Honey told me he would go to the Lake and say a prayer for me and for my Grandfather.

Honey couldn't call me from Peru and all we had was email to stay in contact. I wondered to myself, "How was I going to get through the next two weeks without him? How did I, Miss Independent, who can do everything by herself, become the kind of girl that couldn't be without her new boyfriend."

Maybe I had truly fallen in love. Have you ever been separated from your loved one for a period of time? Do you think that distance makes the heart grow fonder? I hope you and your family had a wonderful holidays!