Alex is never sure what he should give you. He tries to buy throughout the year so that he’s ready for anniversaries, birthdays, and holidays but a man can only buy so many plushies, books, and things related to your interests and hobbies before he starts feeling like he’s buying you the same thing over and over again.

It makes him feel like he doesn’t really know you, like he can’t see past these few things to be able to get you the perfect gift. He beats himself up about it around every gift giving event every year. Your gifts for him are always so thoughtful and personal and he can’t help but wonder how you always seem so grateful for what he gets you when he feels like his gifts are subpar.

He knows you find insects and sea creatures interesting, he knows your hobbies, he knows your favourite authors and artists. This year he is determined to do better. He wracks his brain for ideas, asks Farah for help, and spends hours searching the internet for something that you would love.

He succeeds. He doesn’t tell you what your gift is. He just packs you an overnight bag and gets you into the car with all your favourite snacks and your favourite road trip playlist ready to go. No matter how many times you ask he doesn’t even hint at what the plan is. He’s absolutely impossible to crack.

The drive is a few hours and you only stop when you get to a coastal city. Alex stops at a hotel and you both spend a few minutes settling into the room before you leave again to get dinner. Since this trip is probably already expensive you assume you’ll stop for fast food, which you wouldn’t complain about, but instead Alex takes you to a very nice restaurant. He got a table that overlooks the ocean and was more than content to just watch you enjoy the view and listen to you talk about the animals that may be on the beaches and in the seas.

After dinner he takes you down to the port where there’s a tour boat waiting. He pulls a poncho over your head and makes sure the hood covers your head completely. Then he finally explains the plans. “I’m sure you know already but it is the best time of the year to see the orcas from these exact waters so we are going to go on a boat tour. Tomorrow we are going to have a private tour of the whaling museum here before it opens, and then spend the rest of the day hitting up some shops that have some cool things.”