Work passed slowly for Valentina. Steve popped his head into her office, interrupting Val daydreaming about Adam.

“Hey, Val, what’s new?”

Val wasn’t ready to spill the beans about Adam so she deferred. “Not much, what about you? Are you still seeing Jackie?”

“Yes, I think. She’s driving me a little nuts. One minute she’s texting me all the time and talking about how great we are together. The next, she’s hardly responding and saying she needs space. I feel like a ping-pong ball here.”

“Maybe this is why she is 50 and never married. She might not have the best relationship skills.”

“Perhaps. Or maybe this is just an example of how women are confusing,” Steve said teasingly.

“I don’t think we’re confusing, Steve. And you can hardly lump us all together. Each woman is different,” Val answered with a smile.

“We’ll see about that,” Steve commented as he left and walked down the hall to his office.

Valentina picked up lunch at a new place near her office. This “new life, new Val” streak was catching on for her. She wasn’t ditching all of her routines or traditions, but she was certainly shaking them up a bit. She wanted to leave work on time to meet Adam. She was nervous about him coming to stay with her. Not because they wouldn’t get along, but because it seemed like a big step. It was like he was moving in with her, even if it was only for a few days. Would he take it as a sign she wanted more commitment? She wasn’t sure what she wanted long-term, but she was interested in spending more time with him, more nights in his arms, before he left on that plane.

Valentina decided to wait outside for Adam. She sat on a bench near the front of her building and enjoyed the warm spring weather while she waited for him to arrive. For once, she wasn’t too cold without a sweater. It wasn’t long before a taxi pulled up and Adam got out, pulling his trusty backpack and messenger bag with him. He smiled at her.

After he paid the taxi, he kissed her and they headed up to her apartment. Valentina had picked up some groceries on the way home, so she proposed staying in for dinner. They could cook together.

Adam tossed his bags into Valentina’s bedroom as she opened a bottle of wine. She poured both of them a glass and started to get ingredients out for dinner. She had picked a new recipe off the internet. She thought it would be fun for them to cook together so she searched for something yummy-sounding but not terribly difficult. She wasn’t the best cook, baking was more her speed, but she could keep up. Adam took his glass of wine and asked what he should do. She had him start chopping vegetables while she put together the other ingredients.

They worked seamlessly together to put together a meal of fish and vegetables. It started a conversation of what Adam missed while he was in Africa.

“I’m not terribly picky, so there’s not too much I miss while I’m in Rwanda. I usually wish for typical first-world stuff like hot showers any time I want one, reliable fast internet, and sweets,” he said. “But there are things that I love about Rwanda that I can’t get here: super spicy hot sauce, these certain plantain chips, the best rice and beans.”

He continued. “I miss more when I’m here in the States. I feel a little like a fish out of water. My parents want me to be more financially successful and to settle down and get married. I don’t quite know what I want yet. I’m happy working in Rwanda. I’d like to travel more. Who knows where that will take me?

“I like that the simplicity of my life in Africa. Not relying on electricity and internet all the time. Getting to know people on a personal level. The slower pace of things. You’re not judged by your clothes or hair, by your car or office in Rwanda. People make an effort to get to know you. I feel valued there, like I matter as a person, and I like feeling like a part of a team that is doing something in the world, instead of pushing paper.”

Val understood exactly what he was saying. Despite never having visited Africa, she knew what he meant by being a little on the outside here. She had felt that too. Her mom wanted her to go one way, settle down and have kids, but she felt drawn in other directions, to things like travel and adventure. She had her girls to support her, but they all seemed to be going their own way.

They finished eating the meal and drinking the bottle of wine, and then Valentina and Adam popped out for a quick ice cream at a local shop that Valentina liked. When they returned to her place, they relaxed on the couch. They were supposed to be watching a movie on TV that Valentina had wanted to see, but they ended up making love on the couch and heading to bed early. The movie didn’t get watched, but they did fall asleep naked in each other’s arms.

The next two days followed a slower pace. Valentina would get up and get ready, and Adam would make coffee and drive her to work. This way he could use her car while she was gone. She put in a day’s work while Adam entertained himself around town or hung out at the apartment. He even met her for lunch both days so she wouldn’t be tied to her desk.

On Monday night, they picked up groceries and cooked dinner together again. It was nice to have some quiet time together, just doing normal, daily activities. It was calming and gave them a glimpse into what it would be like to have a life together.

On Tuesday, they went out to dinner. Adam wanted to try something new, so he volunteered a local Ethiopian restaurant. Valentina had never eaten Ethiopian food, but she was willing to try it. They pulled up to a nondescript building with a red neon sign. The atmosphere of the restaurant was set with low-lighting, rugs scattered on the floor, and low tables. Instrumental music that Val had never heard was playing softly in the background.

A waiter brought glasses of water and menus while Adam and Val poured over the plastic covered menus. They selected a couple of dishes, and thank goodness the menu explained how the food was served and how many things to order. Otherwise, she would have been clueless.

Their food was brought on a large metal tray shaped like a plate. It had small heaps of meat and lentils on top of injera, a flat type of bread. The injera had an interesting texture, and the waiter explained that you use it to scoop up the food. The waiter pointed out each dish, explaining the ingredients so they knew which was chicken and which was vegetable. Adam was eager to dig in, reaching for the injera before the waiter had left the table. Val watched Adam take the first bite.

Adam gave Val a grin after he ate and urged her to dig in. They had fun tearing off and scooping up the food in a smooth manner. Most of the time, they had to lean in to make sure the food landed in their mouth and not in their lap. Giggling about their food scooping skills, the couple had a lively time finishing their meal.

Valentina liked this about their relationship. She wasn’t sure she would have tried the restaurant without Adam suggesting it, but she was glad he did. She wanted a life with excitement, and she loved how Adam was always up to try something new.

Once the platter of food was cleared, they ordered coffee. Sitting and sipping their strong coffee out of tiny cups, Adam turned serious.

“Valentina, I think we need to talk about Friday,” said Adam. “I’m leaving to head back to Rwanda.”

“I know,” she said with a little frown. “What do we need to talk about?” Friday had already been on her mind, but she tried not to jump to conclusions.

“About us,” Adam said as he looked directly at Val. “About what we want to do with us. I am dreading that time is passing, not because it hasn’t been wonderful spending time with you, but because it’s one more moment that brings me closer to leaving. You know I haven’t had good luck with long-distance relationships in the past. Is that even an option for us?” His voice was almost pleading. She could see the sadness in his eyes.

“Honestly, Adam, I don’t know. I haven’t had long-distance relationships like you have, but I do know that I don’t want to be apart from you. This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time. I want to see you more, continue to learn more about you, to explore what we are together.” Val tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and occupied her hands with her coffee cup. She didn’t want to look at him. She was afraid she would start tearing up if she did.

“I leave on Friday to go to Rwanda; you arrive a week later for your trip. I’ll be able to see you then since you’ll be touring the projects I’m working on, but we won’t be spending every day together like this.”

She glanced up sharply. “Why not? I’ve got a single room on the trip, so you can spend the evenings with me.”

“Yes and no,” he calmly explained. “The days on the trip are pretty long, so we won’t have as much time as you think. I can visit at night, but I’m not sure how it would look for an ESAG staff person to be sleeping over with a donor on a trip. That might get both of us in some trouble.”

“Ok. Can I come to you? What if I visit you and your apartment while I’m there?” she asked, beginning to feel desperate about seeing him.

“That might work, except you’ll be taking a motor bike in a strange city in a strange country. And we’re back to the long days again. I’m not saying that we won’t see each other, just that it won’t be like this. Not every day, not for very long. Besides, that’s just two weeks. What happens after that? Once you leave Rwanda, any time we can squeeze into your trip will seem like a ton of time compared to how much I’ll see you once you come back.” His tone of voice was flat, hopeless.

“When do you come back to the States?” she asked. Her eyes began to water.

“Not for almost a year. It’s an expensive trip to make, so I usually only come once a year.”

“You don’t come home for the holidays? Another vacation?”

“I’m not sure about the holidays. I didn’t come back last year. That trip would be on my own dime, and it costs a lot to come back. Not that we can’t do that, just that I can’t afford to do it much.” He gave her a sad smile.

“We’ll figure it out,” she said. “I visit Rwanda in May. Let’s say I visit again in three months. Then you can come back to the States in another three months for the holidays in December,” Val suggested. She began to speak quickly, almost panicky.

“But is that enough?” Adam questioned. “Seeing you two times the rest of the year? Then what happens next year? Hell, what happens in between? I hardly have enough internet or phone service for predictable communications. Not to mention that we wouldn’t be able to Skype or send videos or anything complex like that. How can we sustain a relationship like that?”

Adam looked dejected. Val was glad that things hadn’t ended up with them fighting about the future of their relationship, but she was discouraged. She was delighted that Adam wanted a future with her, but sadly, she agreed with his assessment. Adam living in Rwanda was going to be very difficult. She didn’t have a good answer. She didn’t know how they could sustain a relationship. All she did know was that she wanted to. Adam’s comments and questions told her he wanted to continue a relationship, too.

Clinging to each other emotionally, Adam and Val left the restaurant. They held hands as they walked to the car, and then Val drove them back to her apartment in silence. Each was lost in their thoughts about the future.

They walked into Val’s apartment and, without saying anything, walked to the bedroom. They undressed each other and made love without words. Valentina tried not to cry with the knowledge that this time together would be short lived. She put her emotion about the distance into each caress, each kiss. She craved him now. His touch, his presence, his conversation. She didn’t know how she could go without him. They were together. Whatever they wanted to call it, however they wanted to work it out, they were together.