"Hey there," I whispered to my husband as I stepped out onto the balcony of our hotel room in New York City. I closed the door quickly behind me so as not to let all the cold air in, and stood there quietly for a few moments waiting for him to acknowledge my prescence. He nodded his head without looking up and whispered back, "hey babe," before returning to his writing, too focused to really stop and notice me.

The afternoon air was freezing cold, and flurries of snow were falling from the sky. I shivered as I pulled my sweater tighter around me. I could hear the sounds of people in the streets below, beginning to gather for the New Year's festivities. And to think, in a few short hours we'd be smack in the middle of it all.

I walked over to the edge of the balcony and peered down into the crowded alleyway that ran alongside our hotel. The same alley that tonight would be the site of a major party. We were a long way up and the people below us looked tiny... like dollhouse figurines you could pick up in your fingers and move around. Like you could just manipulate them anyway you wished. Like you could, for a moment, control the world.

I thought about that for a few minutes, what I'd do with the people if I could do with them what I wished... but of course I couldn't really do anything with them at all so I shook my head and turned my mind to something else. I flipped out my video camera and aimed it down at them instead. There were so many people there. People laughing and people smiling and people talking happily... enjoying the day. And then there people walking busily by as if those partygoers were just in their way. As if the whole occasion was one big nuisance affecting what should be their every day life. I would prefer to think if I were down in the crowd, I'd be one of the people laughing and smiling. I often wondered when society had gotten so busy that we couldn't even slow down to celebrate the best season of the year.

After growing bored with the people, I turned around and began filming AJ, who at the moment looked deeply lost in thought. After two years of marriage this was look I'd grown to know and love. Of course, I also should know better than to bother him in such a moment... but isn't that what spouses are for?

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him as I nudged his knee with my toes causing him to jump a little.

"Nothin'." He replied, rubbing his knee as if I'd kicked him. I rolled my eyes because of course, I hadn't... and seriously, I hated that answer. The patented answer he always gave anytime I asked him a question where it worked. I stuck my tongue out at him and nudged him once again.

He looked up at me then and gave me an annoyed glance.

"Um... Jess," he said pausing briefly to paste a questioning look on his face before motioning his hand upwards and pointing at the object I was holding, "What's with the camera?"

I smiled as I slid myself down onto the cold tiled floor beside him. I gasped a little, feeling as if my buttcheeks were freezing to the ground, before answering his question.

"Well Aje," I began to explain as I focused the video camera on his beautiful eyes -- the same eyes I'd fallen in love with four years earlier, and the same eyes I continued to fall in love with over and over every single day -- "You know that film class I enrolled in?" He nodded. "Well... this is one of my projects."

I flipped the camera off of him and turned it towards the skyline in the distance. We had an amazing view of the city from our balcony even when we were sitting down.

"Oh." His response was short, not too enthusiastic, but not necessarily snarky either and he eyed me suspiciously.

And so I took my chance right then.

"Alex?" I asked pointing the camera towards him once more. He glanced over and nodded in my direction as if giving me permission to continue with my question. As if I really needed permission at all. "Do you have any New Year's resolutions?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, I get it now... this is an interview?"

I shook my head and leaned over to set the camera on the chair in the corner of the balcony making sure it was turned towards the two of us.

"Nope," I answered leaning in and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He returned with a gentle kiss on the lips and a look that said he still didn't believe me but maybe if I kissed him a few more times it could be something he could get into.

"Then what is it?" He finally broke down and asked when I didn't offer any more kisses or further explanation.

"Just life." I answered as I cuddled in close and rested my head on his chest.

"Life?" He gave me another strange look but wrapped his arms around me pulling me closer to him.

"Just life." I repeated it again.

"You're odd," he replied laughing as he looked towards the camera and back out into the city... "but I love you that way. And yes, I have resolutions... but I'm not going to share them."

I shook my head and he reached out to tickle me. I laughed as he stood and turned, leaning down close to kiss me, passionately this time as he pulled me up off the balcony floor and took my hand. I reached to grab the camera before we walked inside but he got there first. He scooped it up with his hand and I shot him a look that said, "Don't you dare do anything stupid!" He smiled at me and laughed turning it so that it was now focused on me.

The tables were turned.

"Jess," he said in a very serious manner as he flashed me an evil grin, "Do you have any new year's resolutions?"

I couldn't help but grow giddy at the sight of him standing in the doorway holding the camera. He had the corniest of smiles plastered on his face and he seemed to be anxiously anticipating my answer. I'd really wished I was the one holding the camera right then because it was a memory I would have loved to have saved. He moved the camera from his face and gave me a look that said, "Answer the question already dammit!" and that was it for me.

"Mmm," I said as I walked over and pulled him closer to me, kissing his neck gently, "I have some resolutions..." I smiled as he kissed my forehead and I slid my hand down his waist to unfasten his blue jeans feeling him sigh in my arms, "but I'm not so sure they can wait until New Year's." I slipped from his arms and smiled at him.

He just about dropped the camera when I said it and I had to laugh at the look on his face. I nodded and headed towards the bedroom door, as AJ followed behind, the camera dangling at his side. I pointed down to where it hung and shook my head. He looked down too, realizing what I was talking about and suddenly he flipped the camera to focus on himself.

"Sorry all you film viewers," He spoke quickly as he took my arm and pulled me towards the bedroom eagerly. "This is not something I'm willing to share."