A dream within The Dream

My husband and I are in New York to see the Barbra Streisand concert tonight. This is only the second time since we have been on a romantic getaway together since we had our children 13 years ago.  So we were both looking forward to having some adult time together. After all we are still celebrating our 20th anniversary year - a milestone.
We arrived at our hotel with stars in our eyes. Great expectations particularly after we got out of the car from the airport and were blown away by the lobby and the doorman. Everything looked so wonderful on the surface. After all our hotel is called The Dream and I had these expectations that we would feel like we were in a dream with our room.
We walked into our room and my dream turned into a nightmare. The room was not what we were expecting at all. It is so tiny that the two of us have to move out of each other's way to get around the room. 225 square feet of tiny living space. We immediately called downstairs to see if we could upgrade to a large room.  We wanted more space. A bigger closet at least because the one we have is only big enough for our two coats. Not space for our things. Where is the space we thought. Disappointment turning into a joke when we were told the hotel was fully booked.
When we accepted where we were, we were able to see the so much more that was right there in front of us.  Looking out of the large round window, almost like an enlarged porthole, there before us was a sight to behold. The Empire State building framed perfectly in our window. Cloud formations so beautiful against the backdrop of the Empire State Building. Jets flying by. Leaving long vapour trails. Hot air balloons  Helicopters. The sun setting casting red hues all around. And then as the sun set the Empire State building was illuminated at the top. Changing the scenery all together. A sea of lights in an otherwise dark night. Picturesque. Romantic. We felt like we were up in the sky with the skyscrapers. Dream like almost.
Allowing us the space to really embrace and accept where we were. Tiny room and all. The disappointment fading away as we were forced to be in each other's space. No place to escape each other but to be with each other. And we did and the atmosphere changed from one of disappointment to one of acceptance and love.
We then went to Buddakan for dinner which is right across the street from us. A treat in itself. And with no reservations to boot, we told them we would be willing to wait for a cancellation particularly since we were celebrating 20 years of marriage. They sat us at the bar where we shared cocktails after muscling our way through a sea of people. Letting go of all expectation. Just enjoying each other's company. And soon we were on a journey, oblivious to anyone else around us, as we began one of the most intimate evenings we have shared in a long time.
Within 15 minutes we were seated at a table. Sharing a wonderful meal together. Conversations taking us way back to the beginning of our marriage spanning over its duration. Honouring each other for the trials we have faced together and sometimes alone but having the stamina to pull through. Holding hands across the table. Truly listening to each other. Hearing each other. Acknowledging each other. Looking deep into each other's souls and feeling that love that comes from a place deep deep down. That place that knows love, like life, is not a fairytale. It is not smooth sailing all the time. That knows sometimes there will be forks in the road, just like our disappointing room, but when we make the best of where we find ourselves, when we learn from the pain we feel, we are rewarded with gifts and possibilities greater than we ever dreamed possible.
And then when we thought the evening could not get any better, the restaurant brought out a dessert with candles and written in chocolate was Happy Anniversary. The maitre'd whisking us off to the library treating us to a complimentary glass of champagne. My husband and I marvelling at our day had changed from one of expectation and disappointment to one of great surprise and love.  How the day we thought would start with stars in our eyes ended with more than just the stars. It ended full of love.
As we walked back into our room, framed in the large round window was the New York skyline full of lights. Full of possibilities  And we were full of love and stars. Our dream coming true in the the most unlikely room in The  Dream Hotel. Proving dreams do come true as long as we let go of expectation and go with the flow. And in our case with love.