But I Still Don't Understand Just How Your Love Can Do What No One Else Can

My new guy called me today from his remote island while he was waiting at the airport to leave for his next destination. I was really happy to hear from him. I thought it might be awkward, the way it sometimes is when two people make the jump from emailing to interacting in real time, but it wasn't. It was really nice to hear his voice, puzzled though I was by the fact that he said he was going to call and then actually called.

I have to say, this man is just blowing my entire mind. I've never even met, let alone been attracted to, a guy who is so emotionally available. I don't have to beg this guy to pay attention to me -- he just wants to. I don't have to beg him to tell me how he feels about me -- he just does. Like today, he told me how sad he was when I left on the shuttle bus to the airport in Egypt. He said he wanted to come back on the bus and kiss me good-bye one last time and that he stopped to consider the wisdom of doing that in the lobby of the hotel and then back in his room, but he decided he didn't want my last impression of him to be a stalkerish one. He said his eyes started watering, which is boy-language for crying. He also apologized for not telling me earlier about his crush, but he said he kept thinking about it and talking himself out of it by thinking of the differences in our careers (which don't seem significant to me) and the fact that we live in different countries (yeah, that one is tricky).

We had a mini-DTR (determine the relationship) talk, which he initiated. He said that it's not like we're diving into a relationship -- we're just testing the waters. I agreed with that assessment and with his further assertion that we'll see how things go when he comes to visit in April. At the very least, we'll be friends. Given how much he seems to like me, I suspect this translates as "we're engaged, but I don't want to tell you that yet because it might scare you off."

I also asked him when he's going to send me the photos of the two of us that he took on our last night in Cairo because my mom has been asking me about them. He said, with a tone of excitement, "You told your mom about me?" And I confirmed that I had and allowed that I tell my mom everything. He said, "What did you tell her?" And I said, "I told her I came home with a giant hickey on my neck." To which he replied, "You told her that?!?! How am I supposed to meet her now?" I was excited to hear that he has the thought in mind to meet my mother.

I'm excited about this guy. I think this could maybe be a real thing. I don't want to get too wound up about it yet in case it doesn't pan out, but this guy has follow-through.