Love, abbreviated

Over the years, you get used to your partner's little quirks.  You know what they like.  You know what pisses them off.  You know.

Mr W likes to have a clean car.  I appreciate this, so I am very good about biting my tongue when he takes the extra time to go through the carwash when we get gas.  Even though it means Audrey will have to be pried off me when we are done, as she hates it.  Swirling brushes?  Foamy water? Life-threatening. 

Yesterday, we were on our way to my Mom's.   We needed gas.  And apparently, a car wash.  The first gas station we went to had the car wash closed.  The second one we went to had the car wash closed.  "It's just not my day,"  Mr W commented.  "It just means you'll have to do it yourself,"  I jokingly pointed out. 

As he pumped gas, I noticed a sign outside the minimart that indicated the car wash was closed because it was being redone, and would soon be a "foaming" car wash.  At the same time, Mr W started cleaning the windshield, so I pointed at the sign through the windshield.  It took him a minute to get my point, as he thought I was being a wiseass and pointing out a spot he missed.  I went back to my book, and felt him come around the front of the van and start cleaning my side of the windshield.

In my periphery, I noticed he wasn't moving the squeegee around any more, and was standing still right in front of me, so I looked up.  He grinned at me, making a big deal out of writing a "U" on the window in front of me.

I searched to the side of the "U" for what I was sure would be there, the "I" and heart.  Aww, how cute, he wrote "I" heart "U" on the windshield, I thought, and I grinned back at him, even though all I could make out was the "U."

He tapped the windshield to the left of the "U."  I continued to smile at him, and wrinkled my brow as I really couldn't see what he was getting at--so he tapped again, and just as the realization of what was there hit me, I heard:

"F."  "U".  "Mommy, Daddy wrote "F-U" on the window!"  Ben cackled.  "I know what that means!!"  (cackle cackle)

"F-U!  F-U! F-U!"  Ryan began chanting.

"Mommy, what does that mean?  F-U?"  piped up Audrey.

Nolan snickered.

I sighed and opened up the door.  I should've tried to knock him over, but he stepped aside just in time.

"Niiice,"  I said.  "Do you want to tell them what it means, or shall I?"  He looked at them.  "Stop it, guys," he said.

I told him what I thought he'd written when we were driving away.  "I should've known better,"  I said.

I guess it's just an one of those things that makes you realize you've spent a long time together--that sometimes you can't tell who the bigger dork is---and it doesn't matter.

You can still feel the love, even if it's not necessarily written right in front of your face.