Love Is Built On Books And Bread

The last visitor slipped out the library doors, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong today, and I was more than ready to kick my shoes off and finish up a few tasks before heading home for the night.

The old, worn wheels of the cart squeaked softly as I pushed it down the aisles, pausing only when I stopped to place a book back in its alphabetical spot on the shelf. I have always loved this part of my job. The calmness of an empty library is so peaceful and serene. Only my thoughts and the delightful smell of books keeping me company.

I was turning the corner to the next aisle when I heard a noise. My feet stopped moving as I listened intently. I could hear the faint sound of music being played from somewhere inside the building. I slowly spun in a circle as I tried to figure out which direction the music was coming from. As I turned to look behind me, not only did I realize the sounds were coming from the fiction section, but I could also see a faint flicker of light flashing between the rows.

“Hello?” I called out. “The library is closed now.”

No reply. I left the book cart and began to walk towards the source of the light and music.

“Hello?” I asked again, my voice slightly trembling with nerves.

As I got closer, I heard the distinct sounds of 90s R&B and smelled something delicious. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I could make out the aromas of garlic and tomato sauce. My mouth began to water. “What is going on?” I thought to myself.

I cautiously approached the aisle and stopped abruptly; I couldn’t believe what I saw.

“Liam!”

“Hi, babe,” he replied casually.

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to surprise you. Surprise,” he said with a coy smile on his lips.

My face lit up. “You did! When did you sneak in here?”

“A little while ago when you were dealing with those teenagers being noisy in the computer area. They kept you nice and occupied as I hurried in with all of this,” his right hand gestured towards the rest of the surprise he had set up.

Placed on the floor between the two rows of books was a traditional red and white checkered picnic blanket, a bottle of red wine with glasses, and two plates filled with delicious smelling food.

“Liam,” I said in disbelief. “This is incredible! I can’t believe you did this.”

“With all the texts you sent me during your shift, I knew your day hadn’t gone very well. I just wanted to make you smile.” I couldn’t believe it. Tears began to fill my eyes. “Aww, Sophie, why are you crying?” he asked.

I walked over and slung my arms around him. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me in close. I sniffled back some tears then whispered in his ear, “Thank you.”

He squeezed me a little tighter, “You’re welcome, my love.”

We stood embracing each other for a few moments then were interrupted by my stomach letting out a very loud, very obvious, growl. We both started to laugh. “I guess I’m hungry.”

“I guess so,” Liam replied. We both stepped back slightly, ending our hug.

“It makes sense. I was so busy putting out fires and doing my normal tasks today that I didn’t even take a break to eat.”

“Let’s fix that then. Sit down, babe.”

He kissed my lips softly, then bent down to pour the wine. I sat in front of one of the plates and put a napkin on my lap. “This smells and looks amazing, honey. Is it from Gino’s?”

“Of course! It’s your favorite, eggplant parmesan. I asked for extra bread, oil, and vinegar too. Let me see if they put it in here.”

While he poked through the bags of take-out, I couldn’t help but smile as I watched. An overwhelming sense of gratefulness and love came over me. He knew I’d had a bad day and picked up my favorite meal and set up this surprise date for us. I didn’t ask him to. I didn’t have to. He knew I needed something to brighten my day and he made it happen. That is just the kind of man he is. Thoughtful, caring, loving. I have got to be the luckiest woman in the world.

“A-ha!” he proclaimed. “Here it is!” He pulled a plastic container from the bag and turned to me with a beaming smile on his handsome face. He opened it and held it towards me. “Help yourself, baby.”

“Thank you,” I said, reaching for a piece of crusty, Italian bread. It was still warm, and the aroma was intoxicating. “I love bread.”

Liam chuckled, “I know you do, baby.” He reached back into the bag and came out with the oil and vinegar. “Let me pour these on a plate so we can dip.”

He set the plate down between us right next to the bread. Our eyes met. “Thank you for doing this,” I said.

“You’re welcome, beautiful.” He leaned over and kissed me. “Now eat before dinner gets cold. I know you’re starving.”

I smiled and dug in. The moment the food hit my lips I moaned with delightful satisfaction. “Oh, man. This tastes incredible.”

“I’m glad you’re happy, baby.”

“So, so happy. Mmmm,” I did a little happy dance.

“My baby loves her food,” he said as he watched me. “You are the cutest thing.”

“Thank you, honey,” I scooped up another forkful of food. “How was your day?”

“Pretty uneventful. Meetings. Reports. You know, same old stuff.”

“That’s great. I’m happy to hear there weren’t any major issues that came up. You’ve been so busy down there lately.”

“Yeah, but things seem to be dying down. Thankfully.”

We sat in silence for a few moments, eating and exchanging glances. The music was still playing subtly in the background, soothing my mood with its slow, melodic sounds. The familiar beat of one of my favorite songs filled the space. I started swaying and softly singing along. Liam stood and reached his hand out towards me.

“Come here, baby.”

I smiled and took his hand. He helped me up then led me to an open space not far from where we had been eating. He held my hand in his, then wrapped his other arm around my waist. With our bodies glued together, we moved to the beat of the music. His hands found the small of my back and pressed me closer to him. I sighed, feeling complete peace in the arms of my husband. What started as a frustrating, hectic, mess of a day, ended most unexpectedly and wonderfully. The stresses that had plagued me had been washed away, leaving only love in its place.