They say marriage is a long conversation. They forgot to mention that sometimes that conversation consists of one person writing a 300-page epic and the other person responding with a single-word text.
Tomorrow is my husband’s birthday. Since my son has school tomorrow, we decided to pull the birthday trigger early. Being the over-achiever that I am, I decided to go all out:
The Logistics: I calculated the school runs, the sleep schedules, and the optimal "cake-to-bedtime" ratio.
The Art Direction: I commissioned a local artist (my son) to create a custom, one-of-a-kind greeting card earlier this week.
The Centerpiece: A photo cake. Because nothing says "Happy Birthday" like eating a sugary version of your own face.
The Grand Unveiling
We did the early celebration just now. The candles were lit. The card was presented with the flair of a royal decree. The cake was sliced. I waited for the reaction. Maybe a tear? A speech? A standing ovation?
The verdict?
"It’s nice."
The Translation
For those not fluent in "Minimalist Husband," let me translate "It’s nice" for you:
It means: "I am overwhelmed by the sugar content, but I appreciate the effort."
It means: "I am confused why my face is on a dessert, but it tastes like vanilla, so we’re good."
It means: "I love you, but I only have three adjectives in my vocabulary, and I’ve already used 'good' and 'fine' today."
Why We Do It Anyway
I knew the reaction before I even ordered the cake. I knew his "Emotional Autotune" would be set to a very low volume. But I did it anyway.
Why? Because if I waited for a "The Notebook" style reaction to show appreciation, we’d all be starving for cake. Sometimes you give the photo cake just for the "Lol" of it. You do it for the kid who gets to see his drawing on the table. You do it because "It’s nice" is better than silence.
I know he might not match my expectations of a partner every single day, but just for today, I thought: Let me do it anyway. He deserves a little appreciation for being my husband, even if he expresses it in the shortest way possible.
To all the wives out there living for the "It's nice" review: I see you. Eat a second slice of cake. You earned it.
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