Morgan Rose Photography

“This changes everything. EVERYTHING!!!”

“Hmwatfw?” I mumbled, rolling over and trying desperately to grab the shoestrings of my swiftly-fleeting dream as 6’2″ of barely-contained enthusiasm landed on the bed next to me.

“Everything.” L said, kissing my hair distractedly and tugging at the pillow I was clutching with both hands to my face. I peeked over the top, relinquishing all hope of finishing my dream and concentrating on focusing. My eyes. And my brain. Focus. Fooocus. Processing such excitement at 6 AM takes a minute.

“Solar cells! A team at Cal Tech just released a solar cell design that will cost about 50x less to produce the silicon! THAT IS HUGE! And they convert 85% of light into electricity. ALSO HUGE !!! It’s just. It’s such an increase in efficiency over old designs. Oh, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, SWEETIE!”

L pushed the pillow down to give me a real kiss before collapsing onto the bed beside me. He leaned over and pressed his forehead to my temple. “Plus, they’re flexible arrays,” he murmured into my ear, “so they can be manufactured really cheaply and used in all kinds of different applications.”

Let me pause. You have to understand. News like this, for nerds like us, is pure beauty. The possibilities are staggering. The hope delicious. We thrill to this kind of thing. This is our song. Even at 6 o’clock in the morning. Especially at 6 o’clock in the morning.

Two years ago, Luke and I met in college at TOM (Theory of Mind). TOM was a discussion group for biology, psychology, and philosophy majors to get together and kick around cool research. Translation: nerd club. We talked about stuff like when Duke neuroscientists trained monkeys to control a joystick with their brains. You know, sexy stuff. WISH YOU COULD HAVE BEEN THERE?! I know. I know you do.

Now L & I’ve been married for 6 months. And in case you were wondering what happens when two nerds get hitched, I thought I would clue you in. This is what it’s like! Admittedly, L is an incredibly kind, unbelievably brilliant and sizzling hot nerd. If that even fits in the nerd category. More like Wonder Super Man. I, on the other hand, am more of your standard issue nerd. Socially awkward, laughs too loudly and often, and has big glasses. There you go. Someone has to balance Wonder Super Man out. And I am happy to step up to the plate. Oh yes. Yes I am.

L, you are the handsomest man I’ve ever ever ever seen. Dang. Just. DANG.

You make me smile from the toes up.

Plus you don’t even laugh when I walk into the closed sliding screen door. Twice. In one day. At least, not very loudly. Just a muffled chuckle behind your hand while you’re dodging the pillow I lobbed at you. These things aren’t called throw pillows for nothing, buster.

Thank you for cracking me up every day. For demanding that I marry you. For being an optimist in the deepest, fullest sense of the word. For encouraging my dreams. Thank you for your stability. Thank you for your surprises. For being my sunshine in the morning. Or my photovoltaic cell. As the case may be. Thank you for being the greatest future dad imaginable. I can’t believe we probably get to make our own passel of rascals together someday! Or if not that, then hopefully we can pass a sanity test well enough to adopt a passel of rascals. I’ll be banking pretty heavily on you for that one, darlin’. Thank you for being the angel who entered my life when I least expected you. You are my heart. My one true love. You change everything.

PS. I have a major crush on you.

Love, M.