"Bret! It's 1986 David Bowie from the movie 'Labyrinth!'"

There's this thing that's happening in my world right now which has never happened before, and it's a little bit frightening.

I call it "reciprocation." And it is awesome...but frightening.

Now, I'm trying not to gush here. I feel like I'd have to make fun of myself immediately thereafter if I did (plus I find it can make for obnoxious reading). It's just not the sort of thing I've ever had to deal with, this reciprocation, and I don't know how to handle it. I mean, if this kid is half the romantic I suspect he might be, he'll have to be awfully patient with me, because I can already tell I'm not going to be very good at this game, and that's the gospel truth. I have missed my cue on so many occasions because I've either been too stupid at the time to catch the hint or I honestly had no clue how to respond and found myself semi-paralyzed by the situation. As such, I've come to realize that he has probably been more perplexed at times over the nature of my interest than I ever was over the nature of his. And I've had my share of perplexion.

But dear, sweet Auntie Josephine, I like this boy. Is that gushing? Would it be gushing to say that all of the 190 or so miles that exist between Springfield and St. Louis piss me off? That I don't feel deserving of all this goodness?

Maybe just a little. But what's a girl if she can't gush every now and then?