First Date

On my first date with David, he picked me up at my house and took me to 2490 so we could pack up some supplies to take to Sundance. We went up to the cabin with a group of siblings and dates and friends, and Dave and I cooked dinner for everyone. (Sounds not so fun, but it WAS fun--we talked the whole time we prepared the food and it seemed very comfortable to get to know each other that way.) So anyway, the thing I remember about meeting Mom and Dad that night--my first introduction--was that they were seated together at the kitchen table having a quiet little dinner for two. I don't think they got up to greet me; they just turned and said a friendly hello; then they went back to their private meal and conversation. There were lots of us coming and going through the kitchen for about half an hour: David and I, Jenny and Mary Ellen and their dates (Blake was Jenny's date--they've known each other longer than we have!), maybe others. The thing that struck me was that Mom and Dad were in their own little romantic world, unperturbed by anything happening around them. Of course, as I got to know them through the years, I could see how true that was--in many ways their relationship was its own island. That had its drawbacks in terms of others who tried to find a spot in the family, but it was admirable in many ways. They really did care most about each other.