On Sunday we went on a long walk.

I grew up in the suburbs. My parents were overprotective and I wasn't allowed much alone time. We rarely went on walks together and as an adult my philosophy has been "Why walk when you can drive?" I saw walking as inefficient and boring.

C spent months battling my adversity to walking. I would argue, "It's too cold. It's getting dark. My feet/back/legs hurt!" But slowly, I started coming around. I started seeing things that you can't see when you're flying by in an SUV. That house on Grove with the lovely yard. The intricate architecture, specific plants and trees I'd never noticed. The long quiet stretches and the conversations that come up. The decision to stop into a restaurant for a drink just because you happened upon it.

On Sunday we walked to VCU. It's a long walk, but the day was overcast and cooler than usual and we wanted to get out of the house. We stopped for coffee and tea at Starbucks. We walked past the park, and saw a cat in a window. When we made it to the library it was closed. We sat on a bench and finished our drinks. We remarked that it was getting darker and windy.

On the walk home it started raining. C suggested we stop at Garnett's, a tiny restaurant on Park Ave, and wait out the storm. I had bubbly glass of vinho verde and a cheese plate. C had a sandwich and a couple of beers. When we left it was still raining, but we didn't care.

We were almost home when we came up behind a man who was stumbling and using the building next to us to support himself. It was only 4:00, but he was very drunk. I was closest to him, and groaned under my breath. Drunks are unpredictable and I don't like being around strangers when they're drunk. Wordlessly, C put his hand on my waist and pushed me behind him and to his left, putting himself between me and the man. This gesture, so small, meant so much. My eyes stung and I smiled, wrapping my arm around his. C doesn't often verbally express how he feels, but as long as he keeps protecting me from drunk, homeless people he doesn't need to.

Once we were a block ahead of the man C told me that he had seen that same man about a week ago. He was on the way home with a pizza when the man stopped him. He was holding two jars and said, "What are these??" C said, "That one's peanut butter and that one is relish." The man pointed to the peanut butter and said, "Which one is this again?" and C said, "That's the peanut butter." And the man held up the relish and said, "What's this one?" and C said, "That's one's the relish." And walked on.

This seems like a fairly normal day, but it was a day that wouldn't have happened if we had been in a car. It would have taken 10 minutes to get to VCU to find the library closed. Then we would have gotten home before the rain started. I probably would have watched some show about mental disorders on A&E and C would have done stuff on the computer. I am so thankful to C for showing me how much more there is to the world when you're not behind glass windows with air conditioning. I may have taught C how to drive, but he taught me how to walk.

The Longest Week

I don't know what has been up with this week. I sleep, I work, I cook dinner. Repeat. Tuesday felt like it should have been Friday. C has a job interview in Raleigh in a couple of weeks. I think it is making time move slower. I have never been happier to see Thursday.

I've been doing research on Raleigh. It's fun learning about a new city. I think Raleigh would be a good fit. Even though I eventually want to be closer to C's family, moving north makes me anxious. I am the south. I am sweet tea and chicken and dumplings and a porch swing.

My mom got engaged on Monday. She's been with him for 5 months. C and I have been planning to get engaged longer than they've been together. To each his own.

It's Thursday, and that means C is coming over to my place tonight. We spend the week days at his apartment and Thursday - Sunday at mine. I like it when we're all at my apartment. It's easier for me to cook and I feel bad that the cats are alone most of the week. I'm glad C convinced me to get both of them so they can be each others friends.

Once, Stella got outside and we spent the entire weekend looking for her. Toby was so distressed he was trying to jump up the walls and running at the door and slamming himself in to it. We had to sedate him. I was so worried he was going to hurt himself. Stella spent two days under a storage unit behind my building. When we finally found her and got her home Toby hissed and swiped at her and they fought for a week.

We're taking Monday off and heading to the beach. Since I work on Saturday's I rarely get two consecutive days off. The summer is almost over and my skin is already getting lighter. I have to be so careful with C in the sun. His crazy Irish skin burns in minutes. I can't wait.