Briefcase on the Kitchen Table

So this is an oldie but a goodie from Avery and I. We all have certain things we hold on to from romantic movies we watch. For me, it was always the part of the movie when the guy told the girl how beautiful he thought her eyes were. I always looked forward to the day some guy would tell me how beautiful my eyes are. When that day came, it did not go exactly as planned.

Avery and I were standing in the parking lot at South Side High School just a few weeks after beginning dating. We were standing by my car and he looked down at me, in to me eyes and said, “I love your eyes. They remind me of frogs.” Needless to say, this was not the moment I had envisioned. I said thanks, kissed him on the cheek, and drove away. Later that night when we were talking on the phone, I asked what in the world he meant! I know I have green eyes but really, FROGS? He went on to say he felt bad and knows how weird that sounded. He said that all would be revealed in the morning.

The next morning, Ave and I got to school about the same time and he asked me to look at something he had in the car. I agreed and went around to his trunk. He pulled out a beautiful statue of three frogs. I found out that his Grammie had painted them for him using a beautiful mix of green, brown, yellow, and blue ceramic glazes. When he told me my eyes reminded him of frogs, these were the frogs he was referring to. They are both beautiful to the eye and a treasured keepsake of Avery’s.

My “dreamy eyes” moment did not go exactly as planned. In hindsight, it was even better. The frogs are still with us and live in corner of our apartment. I can’t look at them without remembering my not-so-fairy tale moment and how lucky I am to have reminded my husband of something so special to him so early in our relationship.