"Michael, Party of Two"

Every Friday Michael and I have a "Date Night". It’s a tradition we started our first year of marriage when our weekday working hours prevented us from spending quality time together. That first year all we had were the weekends, and they started with Friday night date night.

Every Friday we alternate in picking which restaurant we would like to frequent. My decision is solely based on what dessert I would like to take home that night.

When we were first married, I remembered always enjoying being seated in the "Party of Two" booth. They are the smaller booths in restaurants sometimes situated along the edge of the bar or scattered in places with limited space.

These smaller booths give off a nice, intimate feel for a date night. The table between the booth seats is smaller in comparison to the regular tables, so Michael doesn't feel so far away from me. When he reaches for my hands, he can actually hold them, and when he is telling me about his day, he is talking to me and not the entire restaurant. It's a small safe place for us to catch up with each other and enjoy the evening.

However, as the years of TTC passed with failed treatments and no pregnancies. Sadness set in from watching friends have their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th kid. The wonderful "Party of Two" booth seemed to mock me, reminding me of what we were (infertile), and what we didn’t yet have (our child). And I began to resent having to sit there.

In my twisted perception I felt that other patrons knew that we couldn’t have children. I misconstrued the polite smiles of the hostess, leading us to our seats, as a show of pity in regards to our circumstances. It was a horrible train of thought to be riding, but depression will do that to a person.

It’s taken a while, and a far bit of counseling, but I’ve made my peace with the “Party of Two” booth. It’s now my favorite place to sit with my Hubby, and enjoy a meal together.

Tonight we are going to BJ's Brewery. They have the best pizza and the best “Party of Two” booths.