Aurorin & Mook: Year 2

Another year went by and in all accounts, was a better year than the first.

9/9 was our 2nd wedding anniversary and this year, it is Wilk's turn to plan how we shall celebrate the occasion. I dutifully tried to turn a blind eye as the day approaches but about a month before, I suddenly had a nagging feeling that my darling botak hubby may have actually forgotten about the whole event. Still, i bit on my tongue and did nothing (at the back of my mind, i was hopeful that he was just faking it and wanted to surprise me) but when he rather casually asked what do i want to do for our anniversary, i must say that i was just a tad bit disappointed. Anyway, i rather off-handedly reminded him that it was HIS turn to do the planning (as i had done so the previous year), the start of his phobia of planning surprises for his picky wife began.

To be fair, I honestly did try to help him along by not second guessing him and try to ruin the element of surprise for him (i really could if i wanted to, you know...) because it is not often that my dear hubby gets all kancheong and riled up trying to plan a surprise for me (mainly because, as he said, he is not good at conceiving and planning surprises). Hence, it was with great relief (for him) when he finally told me, a week before our anniversary, that he had everything sorted out. Well, i must say, i was really really eager to see what he had in store for us. And, honestly, wilk couldn't have planned a better anniversary for both of us and i was in tears before we even started 'celebrating'.

The plan was actually quite simple. My otherwise practical and pragmatic husband had booked us in for a romantic 3D2N stay at the beaufort, away from our friends and family. And on top of that, a romantic dinner for two at The Cliff. I know money isn't the main thing but to blow off that kind of money, especially at this time (with all those reno and saving constraints), was simply something which I definitely have not hoped for or expected. And it was absolutely one of sweetest thing that can happen to a woman when her hubby professed that he would do whatever he can to give his wife anything she deserves, even if she does not ask for it.

But, the best present I received on our anniversary weekend, wasn't so much the lovely resort stay, the dinner nor his love declaration, it was a goofy little card he has written which 'hid' the clue of the surprise anniversary present (Letters spelling out "Beaufort" littered across the whole message) and an unassuming CD enclosed within it. All the time, he kept berating himself about the 'lame clue' ( No it wasn't lame dear!) before he made me play the CD in the card after i had 'solve' the clue to our destination and reached Beaufort's carpark. At first i did not hear anything, then came a voice which took me a while to realize, was actually myself, talking from the CD. Next thing i knew, "I" was bursting into song, the very song that i sang on our wedding. Wilk has secretly went and cut a CD of our songs recorded on our wedding. In doing so, he had 'captured' our very first 'surprise' for each other (at the wedding) and made a surprise just for me for our 2nd anniversary.

Understandably, i burst into tears, then and there, on a friday afternoon at Beautfort's carpark, wondering how on earth could i have thought that this botak, funny, gentle, caring and wonderful person, has a not-so-acute sense of romance and ingenuity. I guess surprise and romance is all well and good, and we can all think of 101 ways to devise various means to out-do one another in creating a semblence of romance and surprise. But what i learn is, truly, it is not how elaborate the surprise is, how much money is spent and even how 'unique' the idea is, because nothing beats the little things that came out from a caring and earnest heart which loves with patience and understanding.

Happy Anniversary dearest botak hubby.

I know when it comes to my turn to plan for our anniversary next year, i will probably not be able to get it just so perfectly as you did this year. Nonetheless, i will strive to love you better, in more ways than you deserve, and perhaps when i achieve that, my surprise for you will also be just as meaningful and special, as yours had been. *muaks*