Without Saying It

Scott’s a big teddy bear of a man, a bit grizzly looking, and is the strong but silent type. He’s an ox at the construction site. Very much a man's man who has earned the respect of his peers at work and at play, but a communicator he is not. He rarely says please, thank you, sorry, excuse me, or your welcome. He’s not a bad man, nor does he mean to be rude. He was raised believing that displaying your softer side is weak, that people will take advantage of you, even hurt you if you do. It was a lesson his father taught him when he was young.

One day Scott comes home from work. His young children greet him at the door, excited to see him. They are clean and dressed nicely. He throws one over his shoulder and one latches on to his leg. He can smell dinner cooking and can tell it’s almost done. He drags one leg to the calendar by the phone to see if there is anything he needs to do tomorrow. In big cursive writing is ‘tenth anniversary’. He puts the kids down and tells them to run along and play. His wife Holly enters the kitchen and pulls a beer out of the fridge and hands it to him with a kiss.

“Dinner will be ready in ten. I’m just waiting on the rolls. Why don’t you go relax, and I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Scott takes the time to actually look at the state of his home as he walks through it. There’s not a speck of dust anywhere. The carpet is standing on end, looking like it’s brand new, and the porcelain in the bathroom sparkles. He checks the bedrooms. Every bed is made with tight corners and no wrinkles. Even the kid’s room is nice and tidy. Normally, Scott doesn’t do this type of inspection, but he’s beginning to realize how much his wife does for him. He stands in the doorway of the kitchen watching her dish up their dinner. He thinks about the clean dishes and clean clothes that will be there for him in the morning, not to mention the breakfast she will get up at the crack of dawn to make him.

“Don’t just stand there looking stupid. Call the kids and come sit down,” Holly tells him.

Scott calls the kids and has a seat. The kids come running in and climb into their chairs. Scott compliments Holly on how good the food looks, and she thanks him. As they eat, Scott talks to everyone about their day. Not only did Holly clean the house, do the laundry, and the cooking, she also took the kids to see the dentist, did the grocery shopping, took the kids to the park, got their oldest registered for kindergarten, and made Scott an appointment for his yearly physical. Normally these things go in one ear and out the other with Scott, but now that he’s looking at everything through the lens of ten years together, he's taking it all in and realizing that’s a lot for one person to accomplish in a day and she’s still not done. After dinner, Scott starts to help with the dishes. Holly refuses help, giving him another beer and telling him to go shower and relax, she’ll be in there in a bit.

Scott stands in the shower, water pouring over his head. He’s trying to think of a way to show Holly his appreciation for all she does. Normally they don’t do anything for their anniversary, but maybe this year he should surprise her with something. When he gets out of the shower, he calls his mom to ask her to keep the kids overnight tomorrow. Then he gets online and books reservations at Holly’s favorite restaurant and a bed & breakfast that overlooks the lake. Now he just needs to get her a gift, and no flowers will suffice.

“What were you doing in there for so long,” Holly asks when Scott walks out of the bedroom.

“I was just talking to mom. I have to go out for a few minutes. I won’t be long.”

“Okay. Where are you going?”

Scott, not being much of a liar, could only come up with, “I can’t tell you.”

Once Scott had left, Holly springs out of her seat. She knows he is out getting her a gift. They never exchange gifts on their anniversary, but if he’s getting her something, then she’s got to get him something too. So, Holly rounds up the kids and gets them in the van.

Holly is an adorable little thing that never saw it as necessary to shave off the baby weight. She’s sweet until she’s not, always the first to stand up for family and friends. Unlike her quiet husband, Holly loves to talk and carries most conversations. She’s energetic, organized, and motivated. She’s an exceptional communicator but has never come straight out and told Scott thank you for the things he does for the family. She always felt they had the perfect relationship, one that didn’t require a spoken thank you. He strained his mind and muscle ten to twelve hours a day to provide for them, did renovations and repairs on the home, took care of the yard, treated them with love, and set an example for the kids. She managed the home. It was a partnership. Now she needs to find something that says thank you for all you have done the past ten years, and a gift card to the hardware store won’t suffice.

Four o’clock the next day rolls around, and, to Holly’s surprise, her in-laws show up to pick up the kids. “Get dressed sweetie. I’m taking you someplace nice tonight,” Scott tells her.

“Where are we going,” Holly asks, excitedly.

“You’ll see.”

They both get in the truck and head to the restaurant, a nice quiet Italian place in the tourist section of town down by the lake. They haven’t been there since their first born came along, and Holly is ecstatic. The place is dimly lit with a romantic ambience, each table having its own candle to see by. As is their tradition, Scott gets the strip steak and Holly gets the lobster ravioli, then they split their plates while sharing a bottle of wine. After dinner, Holly reaches into her purse and pulls out a card. Inside it reads:

To My Husband,

Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for the blood, sweat, and tears that you pour into providing for us. Thank you for the home that your hands built with your bare hands and continue to refine. Thank you for the quality time you spend with us and the laughter you share. Thank you for the example you set for our children. Most of all, thank you for the love you show us. We are forever grateful to you, and for you.

Happy Tenth Anniversary

Love,

Holly

He tells her thank you and that it means a lot. She then pulls out a gift. It’s a new multi-tool pocketknife with a belt sheath. Then she presents him with a diamond studded wedding ring.

“You spent so much on mine, and we spent so much on the wedding, we just got you a cheap one. I always planned on going back and getting you a nicer one. I thought now was a good time.”

Scott takes off his old ring and replaces it with the new. He smiles and leans over the table to kiss his wife. “This all means so much to me, sweetie. Are you ready to go shopping?”

Holly sits back, a little confused. She was expecting a gift. “Yeah, that sounds fun, but where did you go last night?”

“I told you. I can’t tell you.”

That takes the wind out of Holly’s sails. The answer to that question gnaws at her. She enjoys shopping, though, hitting several of the little boutiques along the lakefront, and they get dessert at the ice creamery before heading over to the B&B. They hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign on their door and turn in for the night.

Holly is grateful for the dinner, the shopping, and the romantic evening without the kids, but it still bugs her that her husband ran out the other night and won’t tell her where he went. They are driving along in silence when it dawns on her Scott isn’t heading home.

“Where are you going,” she asks.

“You’ll see. Just one more surprise.”

Five minutes later, Scott pulls into a car dealership, not a used car dealership, but a new car dealership. Holly’s eyes widen, but she says nothing. Excitement is brewing, but she’s pushing it down. Scott stops in front of a large, dark blue SUV with a black interior.

“That one there is yours,” he says, nodding in that direction.

Holly looks at the vehicle and then back at her husband. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious. Go check it out.”

Holly jumps out of the truck and looks it over in awe.

“I’m not good with words Holly, but I hope this shows my appreciation for all that you do for me, and the kids, and around the house. It doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Holly throws her arms around Scott, thrilled by the gift and his words. “We’re a team, a damn good one. We never need to say thank you. As long as we keep doing what we’re doing, I think we’re always telling each other thank you.”