Tickle Spot

            There comes a point in every couple’s life together when you’re just tired and you’re so desperately in need of sleep, one of you says something and it really isn’t that funny, but the other one laughs, and it gets you to laughing, and before you know it, it’s midnight again and you’re both delirious and keeping each other awake laughing at utter nonsense.

            This happened to us last night, but it was more than that. 

            Liz found something that I didn’t know was there. 

            I didn’t know I had a tickle spot deep in my gut, leave it ol’ Lizzie Lou to find it.  She was the one that was trying to go to sleep, and she was the one that kept talking.  And talking.  And talking.  I was at my computer playing football, I wasn’t the one losing any sleep over it.  So I let her talk. 

            But she started drifting a little and talking out of the corner of her eye.  She started talking silly.  I started laughing, which got her to laughing, she told me to stop laughing, I told her to stop being funny, and the harder you try not to laugh, of course, easier it is to laugh.

            Thing is, after awhile of this, it started to hurt in my gut.  Felt like I had just done fifty sit-ups.  Doesn’t take long for me.  Just after it started to hurt, though, it kinda started to tickle.  And here is the real kicker.  Once that started up, she would get me to laughing which would trigger this tickle spot, the laughter tickled in my belly,  and I would laugh harder and before I knew it I was hurting myself laughing because it tickled. 

It’s serious business, man.  It’s a dangerous place to be stuck in when your loved one thinks she’s just on a roll and it’s all harmless fun and victimless crimes.

            I was sober.  Of sound mind and body.  Or about as sound as it gets.  She was the delirious one.  I’m not sure what happened.  I had to go in the other room and sit on the couch for awhile.  Leave her alone with her thoughts.

            Chris passed through and said I looked glum. 

            “I’m just incredibly tired.  Liz wore me out.”

            This is our love life, anymore.  We’ve already proven to ourselves that we can’t be romantic.  Not with each other.  Just because we can’t keep a straight face long enough to light a candle anymore.  I guess that’s when you know you found someone special.  When she tickles you in your gut from a distance until it hurts. 

If that ain’t love, I’ll spit in yer ear.