The Dawn XI

We walked down Fifth Avenue and shopped all the way back to the hotel.  It was a great afternoon and still not one awkward moment and Carl never once made me feel uncomfortable.  We ran around the corner and grabbed pizza because we only had a few hours before the comedy show started and didn't make reservations anywhere else.  So we sat on the beds, ate pizza, watched some tv, talked and drank wine from the plastic cups in the room.

Carl managed to procrastinate long enough that we had to catch a cab in order to make it to the show; I was a little happy because my feet hurt from my new boots and now I was in heels...but I would never tell him.  We arrived on the Upper West Side in time to have a few drinks, find our seats and settle in for the evening.  Carl is the perfect gentleman and whoever ends up as his partner is a very lucky woman.  He opens doors, pulls out my chair, walks on the busy side of the sidewalk, he's charming, handsome, funny and always appropriate...almost.

The comedian was great although I seen him the last time I was at a comedy show with my friend Sara, but still, a great set and we had a good time.  Afterwards I took Carl to my favourite Irish pub so we could have a night cap before heading back.  We proceeded to drink a ridiculous amount of Heineken and gin and I finally found the courage to tell him about my situation.  I guess I was a little scared he would leave and now that I have spent time with him I really wanted him to stay, I hoped he would always be a part of my life.  Carl is someone that truly makes your life better, he makes me feel accepted, strong and important.  We learned a lot about each other that night and it made us great friends.  Carl told me about how he lost his mother when he was only 18 years old and his father was less than a great role model.  He got mixed up with gangs, became a soccer hooligan, and struggled deeply with the loss of his mom.  My heart ached when he told me this, he was as close to his mother as my son is to me.  He told me how he was a miracle baby because his parents tried for over a decade to have a child and when they gave up and tried to adopt they were blessed with him.  After years of going down a destructive path he found a therapist and then he found his way out.  He decided to go back to school and get his degree and masters...that's how he ended up in Philly with his aunt.  I was in awe of this man...he doesn't even know how important he is to me...he successfully crossed the bridge...