We were sitting quietly together one evening when Eric looked at me, smiled, and said, "Your hair looks nice."

Instantly I was all a-flutter. Eric is not a guy who frequently voices opinions on my hair. In general, he a) is glad that I have hair; and b) thinks it looks better short than long. Other than that, he thinks I should do whatever I feel like with it and doesn't say too much about it. This out-of-the-blue compliment was thrilling.

But I couldn't just thank him and let it go. Not me. I need DETAILS.

"Really? What about it looks nice?" I asked.

If I had asked this question of another woman, she probably could have told me in detail that she liked the current length, or the current color, or the texture, or the way the ends were flipping in or out, or any one of a multitude of other variables that contributed to her positive assessment of my hair.

But this was my husband.

"Ummm...the way it looks? On your head?" he offered.

"Just that? Is it the length, or the way I had it kind of forward over my ears, or the way my bangs are?"

"I don't know! It just looks nice," he said.

We both sigh. And I realize that interrogating him about the minutiae of my hairstyle is probably the best way in the world to ensure that he's not going to compliment me on my hair again anytime soon.