A few months ago, my husband Max and I celebrated eight years of marriage. After nearly a decade together, I thought I knew all his go-to moves to impress me. When we were dating, he’d pick me up in his red, 1966 Mustang, and we’d spend the day driving down Highway 1, stopping at scenic outlooks on the California coast. When we were first married, he’d throw in a batch of slice-and-bake cookies to enjoy while we watched our favorite TV show. Now, when our garden is in bloom, he’ll fill our vases with colorful bouquets.
But the other day he surprised me…
It was a Saturday morning, and like all parents of small children, we were already up and starting breakfast by 7 a.m. As I brushed by him in our narrow kitchen, Max turned to me and said, “Ready to try the best coffee of your life?”
Of course, I stopped in my tracks and started asking questions: “What do you mean?” “Did you find a new coffee shop?” “Are you taking me out somewhere?”
“You’ll seeee,” he replied.
Max got out our Moka pot, and then (to my surprise), opened the fridge and took out two eggs. After starting the espresso, he cracked and divided the eggs, then beat the yolks with a spoonful of sugar until they turned thick and creamy. I watched as he spooned the pale-yellow froth into one of our china teacups — a wedding present — poured the espresso over it, and placed it in front of me. It was indeed the best coffee of my life. (Here’s the method he used, if you’d like to try.)
For the rest of the day, I was giddy. Part of it was the caffeine, but mostly I just felt smitten and inspired. After all these years together, and now parenting three small kids, romancing each other often gets moved to the back burner. There are days when we treat each other more like co-workers than people who want to make out with each other for the rest of their lives. Watching Max prepare this special cup of coffee made me realize: Learning how to do something, specifically for your partner — like bake their favorite cake, or play their favorite song on the guitar — is such a simple way to invest in your relationship.
So, the next time I sense that we’re drifting into co-worker territory, I’m going to try and learn to do something that will make Max smile and feel appreciated. Like cook barbacoa tacos, or memorize lines from his favorite SpongeBob episode. Because I want to keep this good thing we have going, for many, many more years.
Max making my coffee so I can take pictures for this post 🙂
Have you learned something new for your partner lately? Or has your partner romanced you in a way you weren’t expecting? I’d love to know.
P.S. A funny thing that happens in relationships and 12 relationship tips from a wedding reporter.
(Photo by Anna Malgina/Stocksy.)
