True love...

Love comes in so many different forms and is shown in so many different ways.

The other night I woke in the middle of the night completely startled by a noise upstairs. I laid in my nice warm bed and listened for additional sounds. My imagination was running crazy and I was totally convinced that someone had broken into our house and was upstairs (I can be very irrational at night). I wanted so badly to march upstairs and make sure the kids were okay but I was paralyzed by my fear and I couldn't move. I laid awake for over an hour and the sounds continued. I knew that Steve had locked up the house but the garage door was unlocked when I went to bed so I couldn't be sure of all the other doors (we have many exterior doors). I finally woke Steve and explained my (irrational) fear. He got out of bed, made sure all the doors were locked and checked on every kid.

He came back to bed and assured me the doors were good and everyone was safe. I was relieved and overwhelmed with gratitude and love for him for checking the house for me. I snuggled up to him and quickly fell asleep.

I didn't see Steve again until the next evening when he returned home from work. I was cooking dinner and he walked in the door and without saying anything came and gave me a hug. But it wasn't an "I missed you all day" hug, nor was it a "Thank you for being the mother of my children" hug. It felt like an apology hug...and then the words come out of his mouth, "I have to tell you something." My heart sank. What in the world would warrant those words with an apology hug...he went on to explain that he had lied to me the night before. When he went to check the doors, he found the back door unlocked. But he knew he couldn't tell me that or else there was no way I would ever be able to go to sleep. So he lied. He told me the house was completely locked up and it put my mind at ease and I was able to sleep. Smart man. That's true love - he knew me so well he knew I wouldn't want to hear the truth. Love that man!