Dark Night

The tulip garden

The entrance gate to the garden is kind of awe-inspiring; it has a pagoda on top that kind of looms; to me it looked a little top heavy. It was misting and kind of foggy, so the light of the sun was muted and it was atmospheric. Not many people had come out to enjoy the garden, so it was also serene and peaceful as we walked along the path we'd chosen at random. It was impressive as all get-out. There was a big statue of Buddha, ponds and streams, and an immense drum bridge. I felt certain that it was just decorative, but John said no, people climb over it all the time. So we did too, standing at the top for a little breather, looking around. It was beautiful and I took a picture. John helped me down the other side--I didn't really need help and he knew it, but it was also very gallant. I'm not really used to people doing things for me.

From there we passed a beautiful waterfall and a bright red five story pagoda during our walk. There was also a gorgeous pavilion by a lake, a stone bridge, wood plank bridges and paths, and all manner of beautiful trees and plants, some in bloom. It was hushed and it felt, for the most part, that we were the only two people in the world. It was cozy and romantic. We talked some, but mostly wandered around in harmony, hand in hand or my hand in the crook of his arm. When they closed for the night, we joined the other people leaving and went to Nopalito for dinner.

"I'm glad you liked the garden," he said after we'd ordered. He took my hand and I got a little giddy. "Golden Gate Park has a lot of really nice places I'd like to take you to. They have a Segway tour I've heard a lot about, several gardens, the Shakespeare garden, a tulip garden with two Dutch windmills, a conservatory of flowers, the carousel, the California Academy of Sciences, an aquarium, there's a skate park, boat park, Strawberry Hill, even a herd of bison."

"I'd like that," I said. Dinner was served more quickly than I'd hoped, actually, but was delicious. Since there was a line of people waiting for a table, we didn't linger, and outside John took my hand again and proposed a walk through the tulip garden. We hopped on the shuttle and John told me some of the sites we were passing, but he hadn't seen everything himself despite growing up in the area. It didn't take long to get to the tulip garden.

We'd missed the peak tulip time this year, but there were still plenty in bloom, drifts of every color in beautifully precise flower beds, lovely lawns, trees everywhere. John told me that there were over a million trees in the park and that the park itself was larger than Central Park in Manhattan. The clouds started to clear as we walked along, hand in hand. "Those look just like the tulips you gave me last year before the elections," I mentioned, spying some lavender and white tulips.

"I'm surprised you remember," he said. "That was awhile ago, lots has happened since then." I gave him a Look.

"That was the first time I've been given a bouquet," I said. "I'm not likely to forget. They were so pretty."

"Well, that was the first time I gave flowers to a girl. So I'm glad they were memorable," he said, and I smiled back at him. "You always look lovely, but tonight you look especially enchanting." He looked at me through his lashes. "I like knowing it's for our date."

"I wanted to look nice for you," I said awkwardly, feeling a blush. We sat on a bench to enjoy the landscape over which one of the massive windmills dominated as the moon rose. He put his arm around me and I snuggled close, putting my head on his shoulder as we enjoyed the peace and beauty of the scene before us. The moonlight leeched the color from the flowers, making them seem otherworldly. He slid his fingers through my hair, and when I looked up at him, he kissed me.

It was a light kiss, just a brush of the lips, but I sat up straight, rubbed my hands briefly to warm them, then drew his head down closer for a more lingering kiss. One of his hands buried itself in my hair and the other rested on the back of my ribs. We kept the kisses light and sweet; we were in public, for one thing, even if we were currently alone, but also I didn't feel the need to rush into anything. This was perfect, this was enough, this was everything.