The surprises. That’s one of the things I love most about being married to my husband, Les. Valentine’s Day gave me pause to delve into what makes our life together so interesting and fun, and the common thread is surprises. Les is really good at this.

Sometimes, the surprise is a gift— like our first holiday season together when he purchased a piece of original art that I’d been admiring in one of my favorite wine bars. He conspired with the artist and the wine bar manager, reserving a table for us directly underneath “my” painting, so that when I saw upon arrival that it was sold, I’d notice and lament— though only temporarily, to my delight! I love the piece, and it hangs in our living room today.

He also surprised me in July 2016, when I thought we were just going out to dinner with live music for my birthday, but he had actually commissioned the musician (our friend, Colin Allured) to learn “our” song, and after it played (and we danced), Les put a forever ring on my finger. That was literally a life-changing surprise.

Other times, the surprises have been adventure— at Christmas this year, Les pulled out all the stops and created a version of “Let’s Make a Deal,” offering me a chance to trade in my new, gift-wrapped Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds CD for any of three secret “doors,” which turned out to be recorded announcements he’d made on his iPhone. I chose wisely and traded up for a trip to see the Stones when they tour later this year. Yes, we’d have made the trip anyway (he already bought the tickets and made hotel reservations), but I absolutely love that he made it so much fun. We’ll celebrate seven years married this April, but he’s still dating me (yes, I know I’m lucky)!

Every once in a while, though, Les presents a surprise that comes out of left field in a way that makes me say, “aw, maaaan, seriously?!” This is exactly what happened the day before Super Bowl, and just two days after I managed to pull off re-creating my beloved Western New York “fish fry.” That’s when he announced to me without fanfare that he was going to get serious about eating healthier, dropping unwanted pounds and getting back into shape— starting immediately after all the deep-fried Buffalo wings and queso dip and jalapeño popper snacks I’d been prepping for the big game. No more ice cream after dinner every night, he said, and no bacon cheeseburgers or deep-fried anything— and oh, by the way, no more alcohol for a while because empty calories were off the table. Big sigh (but don’t worry, I have these indulgent recipes in archive and I will still share them).

I was stunned, and truth be told, a little pissed at this zero-notice announcement. But anyone who loves a Virgo knows that once a decision is made, there’s no point arguing. Virgos get things done, hard stop. And when I consider the timing of his resolve, I recognize that it came mere hours after I complained (again) that none of the cute, sexy clothes in my closet fit me or look good on me anymore. From that perspective, his decision is more a response to my own lament.

My lover is right. We need to do better and get healthier, and though I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to immediately practice my new (and highly successful) deep-frying skills, I am at least excited about the challenge of creating more thoughtful meals, and I’m ready to embrace the coming spring with some new outdoor activities. My realistic side knows that I won’t snap back into the same body I had in my 20s or even 30s— and I’m certain that I have never rocked it quite like Sydney Sweeney on that red Mercedes in the video (wow)— but I do know that getting healthier, slimming down and feeling stronger will give me more confidence to wear at least a few of the cute outfits I’ve kept on ice. Maybe in time for the Stones show, I’ll even be able to squeeze my middle-aged butt into those cute flare-legged pants I bought last summer. Regardless, if we stick with it, my husband’s surprise decision will buy us more lifetime together. More time for romance, adventure and other life-changing surprises.

How could I ever be angry at that?