Sentimental Sunday - Meet the Parents!

I've gone back and forth with myself about whether or not I should write this post, but since today is Sentimental Sunday and since I am rather emotionally full right now, I'm going to go on and take the leap.  It's not often that I write about my living relatives, and even less so that I do so about either of my daughters, but today, on Valentines Day, I just have to.

It's been many years since I've had a true Valentine, so the day itself has very little meaing to me.  Typically, I play "Cupid" to my two daughters, and to my mother, and I usually get blessed, in return, with love tokens from my daughters, but this is often done via U.S. mail, since one is away in college, and the other lives seven hours away in NY.  But this year, Valentines Day has been different.  Very different.  This weekend, my oldest daughter, who will be 28 years old in June, did something she's never done before.  She brought her boyfriend (who she's been seeing for a little over a year) to Virginia to meet her parents!

Now, I've known this visit was coming for about two months, and I've wondered to myself it if was significant in any way.  After all, my daughter's beau, an artist and lecturer, had a scheduled engagement at a college not far from here, so the two of them just coordinated this trip to coincide with that.  And, although my daughter has indicated that they "get along well", and have been "spending huge amounts of time together", I hadn't heard the "L" word, nor had I been given a lot of reason to think that this one was "the one".  But still, just the fact that she was bringing him here, and not just here, but also taking him (first) to Charlottesville to meet her father and his parents, led me to believe that there might be a hidden agenda...

So, anyway, the happy couple flew into Richmond yesterday morning, and, after a full day in C'ville with her paternal side, they made the 2:15 drive from there to here so that the young gentleman (whom I'll call, "H") could meet Mommy (me).  We had a great night of conversation last night, during which H made himself completely at home and seemed to fit comfortably into vibe of my household.  (I'd already gotten the report from my daughter's dad that the same was true at his house.)  At 12:14, when I realized it was after midnight, I wished everyone a happy Valentines Day.  I said I love you to my daughter, and she told me the same, and then turned and said, "I love you" to H. He responded with the same. (Alrighty then!) We then went on and proceded to visit until after 2 a.m., after which all three of us, retreated to separate rooms to sleep.

This morning my youngest daughter (my Valentine) came in, just in time to join us for a huge breakfast/brunch, which I prepared for everyone.  After that, a short siesta was necessary for all, and then the young folk all took off for the mall.  Next came a visit to the nursing home, so that H could meet grandma.  This, too, went very well.  He was perfect with her, and won her over easily.  We took several pictures, including a few with H and grandma.  After this came the reason for this post:  I'd told the gang that I wanted to treat everyone to dinner out, so we headed to the restaurant, as planned.  I was feeling very generous, so I told all to order whatever they wished, and they did.  During dinner, H and my daughter were noticeably affectionate (something I've never witnessed with my daughter and any other person), holding hands and snuggling up.  They each made several comments about a future together, such as "when we have kids" and things like that.  I mentioned that this was the first gentleman that this daughter had ever brought home like this, and H responded that he hoped to be the last. (Hmmm...glances all around the table:) 

After our leisurely and enjoyable dinner, the waitress brought the check.  She laid it in front of H (assuming, I thought that he'd be paying since he was the only male at the table), but I quickly reached across the table to grab it.  As I did, I noticed that there was already a credit card sticking out of the holder, and I was very confused. "How did...", I began.  Somehow, H had managed to communicate to the waitress that he would be paying, and she'd already charged his credit card!  I had no idea how he'd done this, until I remembered that he went "to the restroom" shortly after we'd been seated at the table.  This rascal had just bought paid for dinner for four - appetizers, entrees, wine, and dessert - without me having a clue!  (You have to really know me to know how hard that would be to do.)  Well, after several minutes of trying to convince him that he didn't have to do that, I gave in, and the next thing I knew, I'd burst into tears!  I hid behind my napkin and boo-hooed like a baby  for almost ten minutes.  Even I can't fully explain all of the reasons why, but something in my heart told me that my daughter had struck gold, and also, more personally, I think deep down inside I realized that this was the first time in over a decade that anyone had bought me dinner on Valentines Day.
I don't know what the future holds for H and my daughter, but I do know that today was the best Valentines Day I can remember.  Not only did I get to witness my oldest daughter being treated right, but so did my youngest daughter, and that is worth the world to me.  Tomorrow, when they all leave, I know that I'll still be able to feel the warmth that was shared between us all today on this FAMILY VALENTINES DAY.