saturday, her day. when she woke up, he was not in bed. she crawled out of the warm duvet into the chilled air and padded to the bedroom door. without her glasses, she saw the outline of his form look up at her, and come back to bed. they enjoyed the comfort of bed for a while. he was romantic all morning. kissing her neck, stirring honey into her rooibos, taping a hand written sign, i heart u, onto the glass-walled shower while she stood under the hot stream of water. their groceries arrived from the market and they put away courgettes and an aubergine and asiago and basa and kale and multigrain penne. she wore pink, he wore grey. they took the train downtown to explore the shops. they air was cold, the snow began to fall in small flakes. there were no street vendors except for the ones selling roasted nuts; the streets were filled with the scent of smoky chestnuts and fresh snow. she found a cocktail ring with a large turquoise stone; she found a ruffled silk top the same hue as tuscan poppies; she found a tall pair of sophisticated black wedges. while she tried on silk and cotton, he danced to the music in the shops. his lips looked delicious. they stopped at the little 'hole in the wall' they love for shawarma. no more than a few square feet, several arabic family members and a selection of tahini and pickled turnip. they talked all day, discovered all day, loved all day, laughed all day. oh, he makes her laugh. they stopped for a caramel espresso beverage a local bookstore and read fashion magazines. she read a quote from albert elbaz, the designer of lanvin, on the sensuality of clothing: it should feel like eating chocolates. to her, it does. she wore the turquoise ring all evening, because of that exact feeling. like chocolates. when they arrived home, they boiled the kettle and watched the snow fall outside. it sparkled in the evening light. a winter wonderland. the perfect evening for a rich soup -- creamy mushroom with fresh herbs and black pepper. they baked a fresh loaf of bread, and spread the hot slices with ricotta and drizzled them with eucalyptus honey. for a little pampering, he soaked her feet in warm water and scrubbed them with brown sugar. her toes smelled of molasses. he gave her a pedicure in honeysuckle pink. she leaned her head back, closed her eyes and relaxed into his touch.
