My husband and I just went away for our 10-year wedding anniversary

For one night, 87 miles away

We took our time, we were in no hurry

Were happy for the chance to get out and play

We quickly realized we’ve honed in some routines over the years

Idiosyncrasies of the Parkers

Two became one – cheers!

We finally got to that island, so long and quaint

Seafood restaurants, t-shirt stores, even (duck) decoys in windows

It’d been a while since we visited – we noticed all the old buildings with their chipped paint

But we gave it a go

Sixty dollars for a crummy lunch: flounder sandwich on cheap bread, iceburg lettuce and some ersatz chicken in a bed

I took but a few bites

Outside we started to see the light

Biking to the ocean was the best part

But no dogs allowed on the beach??!

That sign hit me like a dart

At the creamery we asked for milk to be poured into our ice cream bowls

The servers looked at us like we were trolls

Three big scoops in the end: dry

But we got to sit on our hotel balcony and watch the sun set

It was peaceful sitting, watching the sea birds fly

At bedtime I didn’t sleep

Couldn’t find a pillow in that hotel worth its keep

I used my hoodie, all balled up

The comforter was so poofy

There was no dog in the bed with us

But it was the perfect chance to make some love

In the morning we drank coffee on that balcony

It was beautiful but we could identify the fallacy

That travel and getting away is the best

We both missed our home’s nest

The life we’ve architected the past 10 years: our garden, our gym, our pup

The couch pillows, our milk-in-ice-cream, the dog laden beach

No, we’re not stuck up

We left the anniversary island – early, in fact

Smiling

Heading toward our home, a diamond

We didn’t look back