He is a Capricorn. I am a Taurus. His sign verb is “to organize”. Mine is “to have”. Love, stubbornness, a passion for travelling and reading are some of the things that tie us. And then there are the differences. He is chilled about life and takes everything with a grain of salt and with a smile. I am, many times, neurotic and panicky about losing control of things. Worrying about little things, big things, worrying about things that haven’t even happened yet.

He loves his coffee black and strong. I gave up coffee because I was drinking it too milky & sweet. He always has a glass of wine at dinner and he constantly complains about me not having any. One of his greatest complaints about our relationship is that I don’t like wine, or alcohol for that matter. He always points out I rarely unwind and relax and he is mostly true. He blames it on me not liking wine.

He hates shopping and sees no point in surrounding himself with expensive, useless things. It’s ironic because when I met him he used to wear mostly designer clothes. He blames it on the silliness of his young age. Instead now he is more likely to visit a charity shop, not because he is cheap, but because he loves the humanity behind the buying gesture, the idea of recycling and never wasting. I, on the other hand, indulge in shopping frenzies and love a bit of glamour. To my complaints about not having enough shoes, clothes and bags, he rolls his eyes and makes a remark about my empty piggy bank.

He’d much rather give me a wooden engagement ring than a diamond, because he thinks it’s different and special and nobody gets exploited for it. I am still expecting the bling, of course. He finds little satisfaction in owing things, and would rather go for experiences that enrich his life. I find my security in things that I own.

I love romantic comedies and happy endings and I often find refuge in my own little world, away and hidden from everyone, including him. He loves dark movies, with complex stories. He finds the rom-coms a waste of his time. I find them comforting and lovely.

I admire his oratorical talent and wish I could be just as articulate and easy going as he is. I lose myself when faced with a crowd. His greatest love is music. I am just a dilettante. He is opinionated and always likes the challenge of a good argument. I shy away from speaking my mind for fear of offending the person I am addressing.

He likes to tell stories, I love facts. And I always correct him when I think he’s going over the top, which annoys the hell out of him. Because he says I am killing the magic in the telling. He loves to chat to random people while queuing at a club entrance or when we’re out and about. I am reserved and will never start a conversation with a stranger. It’s not that I don’t like people, but I always think I would be ridiculous to just pry like that.

I care too much about what people think or say and get very upset when I feel someone is dishonest. He is light-hearted and always tells me to take people as they are. He rarely judges, almost never gossips and sees the good in everyone. I sometimes go astray.