When I was out on my first date with Timmy I had an allergic reaction. From what, we’re not really sure of. Our prime suspect was chicken. But then our first meal together had chicken in it and an entire night passed without anything happening…well, nothing awful at least.

Anyway on that first date–a.k.a first time we went to the mall to eat and possibly watch a movie–I started feeling heavy around my eyes as we started grocery shopping, like they’re closing on their own. I thought I was just sleepy. So after groceries we went back to the hideout.

Back at the hideout we turned off the lights and tried to nap. YES, just nap.

The area around my eyes were increasingly getting heavy and warm that time. When we turned on the lights, Timmy looked at my eyes with a horrified expression (imagine looking at someone who just realized the person he’s dating looks different in real life from her social media pictures). Then he said, “Jenny…your eyes!”

I literally looked like a bug. I don’t know why we never took pictures then for something we could laugh at later. Maybe because we were both busy trying not to panic.

I tried to remember what I was exposed to that could have triggered it. We had something with chicken for lunch that day so maybe that was it! (Although as I said, we ate chicken the night before and nothing happened.) I had an allergy to chicken when I was a little kid after all. It’s not uncommon for allergies to reoccur.

Being a paranoid and having weird allergies in the past (although nothing involving my eyes) I always kept antihistamines in my purse. So I took one and tried to convince myself I’ll be alright and it will pass in a couple of hours–not because I’m worried about myself, but because I’m worried about Timmy.

He was so worried about me. I would too if it happened to him. What if it won’t go back to normal again and I’m stuck with a bug (instead of a Bee) husband? He asked me more than once if I’m really okay and if we needed to go to the hospital. I assured him we didn’t need to. I tried to sound braver than I felt, being the natural paranoid that I am–I don’t want to ruin date and have him spend it in the hospital! I think my act was pretty convincing, although Timmy kept a close watch nonetheless for any sign of worsening.

True enough, the antihistamines worked and after a couple of hours (and a real nap this time) the swelling subsided. After a full night’s sleep, it was completely gone. Only to come back later the next day when Timmy and I went back to the mall to watch The Martian.

We had chicken that second day too so how can we not blame it? From then on we stopped eating chicken and the eye swelling didn’t happen again. Well at least, not because of an allergy. Eye swelling because of crying happened lots after that, but that’s for a different post titled, “I Cried More than I Pooped”.

When you have someone who won’t start running away the first sign you look worse than the face you normally project to the world, it means you might actually have a keeper.

Or he might still be in shock, who knows.