For what seems like many many moons now, I have been begging anyone who was willing to listen for what I thought was one simple thing. Now, some of you have listened, and done what you could. Take for instance Daniel. We usually talk on an almost daily basis, and we almost always end each conversation (unless someone has decided to break tradition for some reason...Ha ha, just kidding 
) in a very similar fashion. If we're leaving each other for the night, or even if there's a chance that we may not talk again until the following morning, one of the last things I always do is put the word hug, or hugs in stars. Usually, he promptly follows suit. This signifies for both of us that we're doing the best we can to hug each other at the end of each conversation even though we are approximately 3000 miles apart.
We've been talking for about two years now and over the course of that time, the way we end each conversation is something I've come to expect. When that doesn't happen, for whatever reason, for a moment, if even for a brief one, I feel lost! This is the only form of "nonclinical touch" I've gotten consistently for a very, very, very long time. He is very well aware of this, and does his best to make sure that he does whatever he can to fulfill the gaping void. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it means more than he'll ever know!
Last evening though, something magical happened between Chandler and I, and as I write this, I'm still floating on cloud nine...no, wait, maybe even higher than that, as a result of it. It started out like any other Friday evening that I go over there to hang out with him. He was watching a baseball game, which was an eighth enning when I arrived. Just as the game was finishing, one of his staff members came in and asked him if he was ready to take a shower. He said he didn't care as long as they were going to be willing to put him back in his chair when they were done, because he wasn't going to bed at 9:30 at night. They said that wasn't a problem. While the staff member ran downstairs to get one more thing before they showered him, I told him that I was going to go home and read for a while, but I would be back. He quickly told me that I didn't have to leave unless I wanted to, because that wasn't going to take that long. That was all I needed to hear! With that, I made the decision that I wasn't going anywhere.
His shower took about 15, maybe 20 minutes. When he was finished, the staff dressed him and put him back in his chair without protest. The staff member then asked him if there was anything else he needed before they left. He said no, and that was that. Once again, we were in his apartment together, void of all other human contact. Yanni was there, of course, but that goes without saying. At the time, I had no idea that when the clock struck 11:20, this would be the beginning of a night that would take a long time to forget, if I ever did!
It was at 11:20 that he pulled up the on-demand feature of his cable box. At this point, nothing seems unusual, because this is something he does quite regularly to access the WWE 24/7 package he has. To my great surprise though, he didn't pull up the WWE 24/7 package at all. Instead, he pulled up the "HD movies" section of the menu. At this point, my curiosity was peeking, but I still had no idea that the best was yet to come! As he was scrolling down the list of movies, I happened to notice "Sixth Sense", and commented that I really liked that movie. As he continued scrolling, he came across "Bicentennial Man". After reading the little blurb of information about the movie, he made the comment that he thought he had seen it, but wasn't sure.
It was mere moments after that comment that we started watching it. About five minutes into it, he says, "oh, yeah, I have seen this. He starts out as a robot, and becomes a human." After he said that, I too realized that I had seen it. However, either because we had nothing better to do, or because I was supposed to happen that way, we continued to watch.
As the movie progressed, he said he needed a nap. With that, he pulled his chair as close to mine as it would go, leaned over, and laid his head on my shoulder! As this was all happening, I felt like it was happening in slow motion. When we finally made skin to skin contact, I know I stopped breathing for a couple seconds! I was so glad that his head was where it was at that exact moment, because if it hadn't been, he would have probably asked me what was wrong, and I would've had maybe one word for him, if I could've even managed that. We sat this way for probably a good 20 minutes or more. He then picked his head up, and sat back up in his chair, without saying a word. The most amazing part though? It happened again about 10 minutes later!
Oh my goodness, two spontaneous opportunities to cuddle in a single night? Am I going to wake up at any moment now and realize that it was all just a sweet, sweet dream? Very, very thankfully, that didn't happen! It wasn't a dream! It all really happened, and not only did I get to see it happen, I was the one it happened to! This is something I have pleaded with God for, for I don't know how long! What more could I ask for? Not a damn thing! I'm afraid if I ask for any more at this point, I'll just simply be pushing my luck, and why the hell would I kick a gift horse in the mouth like that? That's just STUPID!
THIS WILL BE A NIGHT THAT I'LL NEVER FORGET! Thanks Chan, I love you, and I ALWAYS will! 