With or Without You

Prior warning to more romantically minded readers, in case there is any confusion: this really is a positive post overall.


It's a funny old thing marriage, isn't it?
Or perhaps - less funnily - it's just my marriage??

Here I was thinking, "great, FH is off to Paris for 2 days: a break!"
Those of you who don't know FH so well may well raise an innocent eyebrow at this point and inquire candidly "a break from what?"
I shall demur and reply simply: "a break from those little foibles and idiosyncracies that are part of every individual's character... and which may occasionnally seem unbearable when one is over-exposed to them".

In a nutshell: 2 days without lost keys, misplaced objects, DIY experiments gone awry, gormless looks of utter incomprehension when confronted with simple questions, diverse opinions regarding the nature and timing of children's bedtime, empty yoghurt pots down the side of the sofa, etc, etc (yes, I know it sounds mean... but whose husband is perfect?!).

2 days during which I will be the Boss*

And yet, and yet. As is always the way, just a few hours into our short separation, the usual, baffling scenario has played out: I miss him.

The cynical may retort: you just miss the extra help!
Perhaps. But personnally I have long suspected that it was Bono who hit the nail on the head**.


*Although the other two remaining members of the household may not quite have grasped this.

** We finally walked down the aisle together - 8 years ago - to the sweet sound of U2's "Beautiful Day". Even I - though something of a realist in matters of the heart - could not quite bring myself to suggest we get married to "With or Without You"