Blooms, Occasionally

You know no proper toast for the realization 
that all the years of married life combined 

now add up to more than half your age. A minor 
miracle, considering you swore you'd never 

do it again. Only in two of those years did the night-
blooming cereus show itself. And only in a few

instances did you feel you were ready to throw in 
the towel, storm off into the night and never come

back. Which is to say, perhaps you might not have liked 
always being by yourself. When the flower that blooms 

only for a night starts unfurling its petals, the sight 
and scent last a few hours. The botanical guide suggests 

holding a late night party; you and your loves could watch
as this scrawny vine blooms, and takes your breath away.