Tommy presented the 2-year chip to you with a proud smile, a faint blush on his pale cheeks.
“Tommy!” you grinned, throwing your arms around his neck and pulling him down into a kiss. “I’m so proud of you!”
He planted his hands on your hips and kissed you again. “I’d say we should drink to it, but, you know …”
You smacked his arm with the back of your hand and gave him a teasing look. “We will definitely have to celebrate, we just have to figure out how. I could always make dinner.”
“Ah, I don’t want you to have to go through all that work. I mean, you did a lot of the work, too.”
“No, Tommy, that was all you.”
Tommy shook his head, pulling you closer by the hips. He used one hand to brush hair away from your face so he could look you in the eye. It was amazing how different he looked after two years of not drinking. He’d never looked bad while he was drinking alcohol, but there was just something about him. He looked, and acted, younger. His eyes were brighter, his body lighter. He just seemed healthier, and happier.
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Tommy, you were sober before you met me. You told me, you’d been sober for a year after you were separated from Janet.”
He made a face and shrugged, shying away from your gaze. “Yeah, but it doesn’t really count if I fell off the wagon, does it?”
“Of course it does. It shows that you’re capable of recovery, all by yourself. You did that, Tommy. Not me, not Janet, not anyone but you.”
He pressed his fingers into your hips and twisted his mouth up as he thought about what he wanted to say. “Well, recovery is a lot easier when you have someone helping you through it. I really don’t think I’d have earned this chip without you.”
You smoothed your hands over his face and smiled up at him. “Then I’m glad I could help. And you know what? I have the perfect place for a celebratory dinner.”
“Oh, yeah? Where?”
“It’s a cute little restaurant a few blocks from here. It’s run by a Mormon couple.”
“Do Mormons have their own type of food?”
You grinned and kissed him on the nose. “I don’t think they have Mormon cuisine, but I know for a fact that there isn’t a single ounce of alcohol anywhere near that restaurant.”
Tommy looked down at you, his eyes gentle, his smile soft. “Alright. As long as I can get a coffee, I’ll be fine. I’m wiped out from work today.”
You bit your bottom lip and gave him a teasingly worried expression.
“What?”
“Yeah … uh, about that …”
Tommy sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Let me guess. They don’t drink coffee either.”
You laughed. “We’ll stop by a Starbucks on the way there.”
