you are viewing archives from 2004

thanks for coming!

Today is the anniversary of a Very Important Day.

Two years ago today, I was quite nervous.

You see, I had just started dating this boy. And I liked him. He was smart, he was funny, he was cute and shy and made my toes curl when he smiled. We were Just Dating, and it was tres fun. But that wasn’t what made me nervous.

No, what had made me nervous was that my brother J. and his then-girlfriend (now-wife) M. were having Easter Brunch at her apartment, and M. had extended the invitation not only to me, but to the boy as well.

Just a casual brunch, they told me, no big deal.

I wrestled for a day whether I should actually pass along the invitation. While I knew it was harmless and string-free, I also knew that we had only been dating three weeks and inviting him for a home-coked meal on a holiday at my brother’s girlfriend’s house would be construed as Meeting The Family.

Finally, I emailed him.

Listen, this is no big deal if you want to go, but my brother’s girlfriend is making Easter Brunch. There will be food, there will be drinks, and there will be ham. I’d love it if you came, but seriously no big deal if you didn’t. It’s just my brother and his girlfriend, so it’s not really a meeting-the-family situation. Totally no pressure. So I’ll understand if you don’t want to come.

He replied:

I don’t really eat ham. Are you sure there won’t be any additional family members popping out of the woodwork? And generally, no pressure situations are the only type of pressure I’ll submit myself to. Oh, and it’s been a while since I’ve had The Other White Meat.

But sure, I’ll go.

-A.

I was shocked, to say the least, and those forty-eight hours leading up to Easter Sunday I kept second-guessing my decision. I had made a mistake. This would freak him out, for sure. M. would be a gracious hostess, and she could talk to anyone, but Older SlackBrother J. and A. had nothing in common. We’d sit in uncomfortable, polite silence, while A. pushed ham around on his plate.

We got to M. apartment to discover that she was still finishing up the meal. I popped in and told her. I’m just going to make sure A. is comfortable and I’ll come help. She assured me she needed no help and I should just sit down and have a glass of champagne. I returned to the living room to discover J. and A. sitting on opposite ends of the couch, watching basketball.

So, A., do you like basketball? J. asked.

Not really.

Football? Soccer? I’m sure there’s something else on. J. grabbed the remote.

A. shrugged. That’s okay, I don’t mind.

Do you like any sports? J. asked.

A. thought for a moment. I care for archery a great deal.

The moment of uncomfortable silence, as I had predicted, came.

And then J. laughed. And A. laughed, and then it was okay.

Somehow, the brunch went off without a hitch. While A. wasn’t totally comfortable, he wasn’t totally uncomfortable either. And I was grateful that M. and J. were socially conscious enough to include him in the conversation, as it’s easy for the New Guy to be left out. We left, our bellies filled with food. M. took me aside and said

I like him.

I grinned. Me too.

A. had parked his car at my apartment, so I drove back there.

Do you want to hang out for a bit? I asked.

Sure, he said.

He came up. And we hung out and watched TV in my bedroom. I was looking at him, thinking any guy who’s dated you for three weeks and will still have Easter Brunch with your family deserves a little something special.

So on Easter Sunday, one of the holiest days of my Catholic Upbringing, I did something that definitely would not be ordained by the Pope.

Happy Two Year Sex Anniversary, A.!


And thanks for coming…to brunch.