little bitty girl

Dearest Stefan,

I cannot believe that it has been five years since we had our first date. Where did the time go? It's true what they say - time does fly when you are having fun. And haven't we had so much fun? I remember our first date so vividly, where you made me starve. Actually, I made myself starve because I had misplaced my wallet before you picked me up and I didn't know whether you were going to pick up the check. I had just enough money to pay for my meal and for a cab ride home. But you had to wreck it all by being el Rico Suave and order the second most expensive wine on the list! I was left eating salad and now that you know my eating habits, you know how hard that was for me. You had the pork tenderloin special and my tummy was growling the entire time. What made it worse was that you ended up paying for it and I will never forgive you for it. If I had known, I would have ordered the whole menu.

An auspicious start to a very interesting adventure so far. I know things haven't been perfect as no relationship is. You still drive me crazy when we fight. Haven't I taught you anything after all these years? Fight like a brunette! Yell! Kick! Scream! Vent! Please! But instead, you still fight like a blonde, smoldering and stewing in your anger. Your eyes turn icy blue and the muscle at the side of your jaw ticks away while you simmer in silence. By the time you actually confront me with something, I've totally forgotten all about it as I've already blustered it out of my system.

Then, there is the fact that you're still almost always tardy and you get mad when I lie about the time we actually have to meet people. We have to actually attempt to pseudo be on time!! It's embarassing already! You still never really get around to cleaning the toilet and your sports still take priority of all our best summer hours. It drives me crazy that I can never stay too mad at you as you always know just what to say to make me laugh. Don't you know that girls like to have a good sulk once in a while and be allowed to be the martyr?

But you are also the boy who knows all my tiniest faults and finds them endearing. Like the time when I was on my earth saving spree and tried to make my own washing detergent? You knew that I would not have the patience to really work it out, but you kept your mouth shut and let me do my mad science in the kitchen. I love how you let me just bend and fold your limbs to fit me just so that I am comfortable while lying on you on the couch, even though you yourself are not that comfortable. Despite the fact that you are physically the largest, you always sleep with the least space if Mindy wants to honour us with her presence in the bed because it makes me happy to have her there.

Then there is my absurd love of food, for which you have none. But you still let me try to convince you to eat all the random vegetables that I inevitably buy from Chinatown. Or the times when I feel that I simply must have Vietnamese noodles at 3 am, and you will still go along with it.

I love how you are so patient with me, and how you make me feel safe. In the quiet of Sunday afternoons, I relish the times when it's just you, me and Mindy with a good book. I love how we can say nothing to each other and still feel like we're still connected. I look forward to what the next five years will bring.

Everyone always asks how I can travel so much and be okay. I can do that because I know at the end of the day, I always have you to come home to. Thank you for being my partner in crime, my lover and my best friend ever, ever.

Happy Anniversary!