I Went To Safeway Today

I went to Safeway today with my son. We needed something for dinner and I needed to fill a prescription.

We went to the mini-instore Starbucks cuz I needed a caffiene fix and he is extremely fond of the many pastries available at such an establishment. We were waiting for my iced chai (decided an iced tea sounded bettter) and there was a plate of samples. It was chocolate almond biscotti. He wanted to try it, I told him to go ahead knowing it would not be what he expected. Knowing he would think it was a brownie, sweet and palatable. Biscotti is not soft I said. It is hard becuz it is meant for dipping in coffee. It is a food that has purpose, more than just the taste. This food has texture and an experience. He laughed and took it anyway, telling me he was to young to drink coffee. Silly Mom. I knew he was going to be surprised. And he was. Turns out he liked it, after some deliberation that it was indeed worth eating and asked if the girl working the counter if he could have another.

I laughed at this, his politeness over such a thing. Thank you, can I have one more? At his interest in trying new things. At his expression while crunching down. Watching him eyeball this huge plate full of crunchy delight. My comments were not meant to sway his decision, but more to simply explain. As mothers often do I suppose. I thought about this later and wonder if I comment too much?

As we were walking away, I saw an older couple approaching the sample plate. I don't mean "older" in the 75 year old sense. Holding hands, carefully walking each other down each aisle, discussing which cat food to buy and making all of us go "awww."

I'm thinking they were probably 40, 45. Somewhere in there. The women ate a piece of the biscotti and asked her man if he would like a piece? That it was good, had he ever tried it? She was smiling, she was happy to offer it to him and seemingly eager for him to receive. He hesitated and then agreed to try it and then they were both smiling. They kissed and giggled. Stood there smiling only at each other. Like they had just shared something fantastic and no one around them knew it. Something new. Something secret. Then I hurried Max away and felt I'd been watching too long.

We were walking home and I wondered about the couple. What must an average day be like for them? Do they discuss the mundane details of their lives? Does it bore them, is this discussion part of their ritual while making dinner? Hearing each other, but not really listening while stirring rigatone and chopping salad? Is their relationship one of mere convention versus a true desire, a desire to be together? A desire for love, love for each other? Do they discuss their beliefs, their passions, their inspirations? Do they agree? Do they agree to disagree? Are their disagreements honest and productive or angry and eager to prove? Do they still find excitement in one another? I figure they must after something so simple as biscotti seemed to insight something between the two of them, something they clearly shared within each other; eyes gleaming while the business occurrs around them.

Is their sex life still fullfilling after so long? I can only assume they've been together for some time due to the depth of comfort between them. Is there learning in each other, his body, her body, their physical body together? Do they still hunger for one another? When their skin touches, is it intense and tingley and truly longing for more? Is their apetite for each other insatiable or functional and marginally satisfying? Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually? Do they anticipate each other each day when they drive home from their 9 - 5's? Is there an urgency in the need to share, to share their experiences? Is there fear? Fear in honesty? Is there a white elephant in their living room? Something that's long since past, but real nontheless? No doubt they've exchanged hurtful words and horrendous arguement. Have they damaged each other?

Do they really understand each other or is it a knowledge that came with time, the in's and out's of every day existance, out of shear habit?

I thought of all of this, just wondering. Wondering at how sincere those smiles were. It might've been but a glimpse into their world together or maybe they were just having a good day, or maybe I took much too much out of 30 seconds in the life of this couple. Or maybe I'm just a twisted romantic with little concept of reality and more one of fantasy and fiction. Either way, I was glad. I was glad, becuase whatever it was brought warmth and wonder to my heart and isn't that what love is all about? For any of us? Warmth and wonder.

And then Max and I came home and played Jeapordy on XBox and ate Pad Thai I bought at the store. He didn't like the Pad Thai so much.