Soulmates

Welcome to week three of our story! I’m having such a wonderful time remembering it all and sharing with you – thank you so much to those of you who have reached out to say you are enjoying it as well. As we get into it, if any of you happen to have any memories of us (together or apart) during this time, please share them with us! We are just treasuring the reminiscing right now and would love any extra pieces to hold on to. 

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This week we got back into wedding planning after a long hiatus, and started practicing dancing in our living room. Before you get any ideas, we have no plans to do some fancy choreographed number at the wedding, but are looking to be able to do more than just sway back and forth for our first dance. I’ve never been a dancer and just the thought of a room full of people watching me perform is enough to make me queasy. So we went to youtube, as one does, and practiced a simple tutorial for a style of dance identified only as “wedding practice”.

Left-right-left-side-together. 

The thing about dancing is that there can’t be two leaders. I watched his eyes and felt the pressure of his hands in mine, guiding me in one direction or another. We stepped on each others toes, sometimes, but mostly found our way across the floor without trouble. 

My mind fell mute as I fell into the rhythm of his guidance, and then we were dancing – timid and clumsy to be sure, but dancing all the same.

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Part 3: Soulmates

Being a consultant is hard and time consuming, especially when you’re at the bottom of the food chain. Our time is quickly overtaken by projects, as I’m put on a travel project (Vans) and Ethan works to keep up with Thermo Fisher.

We chat mostly over Skype in quick check-in’s, and our existential crises become challenging to prioritize. When we see each other at the office, we promise each other, “soon”, and sometimes keep our promises.

Amidst it all, we’re still building a pretty sweet friendship.

I have almost no idea how to use excel, so Ethan helps with numbers and I help Ethan with his slide presentations. Double dates are conducted with several girlfriends, including one exceptionally painful comedy performance. We wear matching costumes for the office Halloween party and laugh endlessly at our attempts to remember and deliver quotes from our favorite show “The Office”. 

“Do you believe in soulmates?” I ask on one of our walks around the neighborhood. 

Ethan is silent for a few minutes before answering, “Yes. I think we have multiple soulmates, and maybe even different kinds.” 

I agree and we continue our pensive walk until another question rises in my throat: “do you think you’ve met any of your soulmates?” 

Ethan smiles sheepishly, “I kind of think you’re my soulmate.” 

“Oh yeah,” I agree, “me too.” The answer feels obvious, like naming the weather, despite the weight of what we’re saying. We keep talking about soul mates, but we are both smiling in the way we do when we land on the same crazy thought. 

“I think it’s really great to have a best friend who’s your soulmate,” you say when we get back to the office, “it makes life a lot easier to know I’ve found at least one of them.”