How We became Us.

 

I’ve never really been one that obsesses over love stories.. That is until everyone that knows our story is so in awe over it. I haven’t told everyone the story of us as I never really thought it was all that exciting, but apparently I’m dead wrong. So I figured I’d take a moment to type it out and share the joy that we’ve created… 

 

It all started way back in 2007… I won’t linger on too long about that year, as we did nothing but meet & become friends. — My Mum (Sonia) had a friend (Sonya) that was dating someone who played on a beer league hockey team. (If you know me, you’d know I am a crazed hockey fanatic!) One night they asked me if I had wanted to go out and watch one of his hockey games, and of course I said yes! Little did I know that stepping foot into Kerry Park Arena that evening would eventually change my life forever. As I sat down in the bleachers, a stream of black and yellow jerseys started to pour out onto the ice. As I sat through the game, this one player caught my eye. Now a reminder that I’m a mere 13 years old and really couldn’t care any less about boys, but this one seemed different. I knew he was much older than me, and I thought I’d never have a chance to even speak to the guy! As the seconds tick down to the buzzer that ended the game, we made our way outside and waited, eventually being joined by the entire team in front of the arena, talking about the game and laughing at each-other. There I saw him. The young gun that I was watching on the ice. He didn’t say a single word to me that night, and I was too nervous to even attempt to start a conversation with him. A few games passed by, and we still didn’t really talk.. But eventually, one of the other teammates struck up a conversation with me, and then had Alan chime in and we continued talking until we had to leave. We became good friends after that. Whether it was through Facebook, texting, or e-mailing we would spend hours talking to each-other about anything and everything. He was the person I talked to when I couldn’t sleep, because my brain wouldn’t shut up. He was the person I’d turn to if I was alone and upset… Alan honestly knows more about my entire life, than most of my family does. 

Anywho! We would talk every single day, for hours on end. This went on for 5 years. In June of 2012 Alan was out in Churchill Manitoba for a work contract, and of course we still talked whenever we could! Even though he was 3 hours ahead of me (time wise) he would stay up until I went to bed, whether he had to work the next morning or not, it wasn’t an issue for him (apparently). One night I was saying goodnight to him, and the reply I got back from him put the biggest smile on my face, and at that point I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I smiled so big, for so long… He messaged me saying “Before you go to bed, could you promise me one thing?” which of course I replied with “Depends on what you ask.” As I saw the “Alan is typing…” caption on the conversation, I didn’t know what to expect.. When I heard the notification, I looked up and smiled like an idiot… His message was “stay beautiful for me.” It was that very moment, that I knew I had actual feelings for him.  

As the weeks went by, he continued on with the sweet comments, and always saying “Goodnight Beautiful” to me every single night before he went to bed. But one day, he suddenly stopped messaging me all together. Of course, it made me think that something had happened to him out there and that he was terribly hurt. (He’s a UXO technician, so there’s always huge risks.) A few days dragged by before I finally got a message from him… His girlfriend was in the hospital on Suicide watch. I didn’t know that there was someone out there that had interest in him.. So of course, I wished her well and told him to keep me posted, like any friend would.

He came home from Ontario in October 2012, and she just so happened to come out with him. As hurt as I was over the fact that she seemed important enough to him that he brought her out to his hometown (and tried to convince me that they would be going back to live in Manitoba together) I painted on that smile and I greeted her with open arms. Her? Well… She looked at me like a Hawk looks at their prey. What I didn’t know was that she went through all of Alan’s Facebook, and text messages and she could see how cutesy he was being with me, so I automatically became a threat to her. Funny how I should say a threat… When I first met her, it was at one of Alan’s hockey games. As soon as Alan hit the ice, and was warming up, she came up to me and pulled me away from my friend (Kayla) asking me if she could talk to me outside. I (in good spirit) agreed to talk to her, but what I didn’t expect when I got out there, was her threatening to beat the holy hell out of me! She turned around and said straight to my face “You know, I’m not afraid to break a bitches nose over a man.” I stood there, absolutely bewildered. Once Alan mentioned another girl, I never once sent any flirty message… So to have her up and threaten me, I was extremely aggravated actually. I had no words. Although, I did laugh as I walked away from her and went back into the arena to watch the game. 

I’m so thankful that Kayla had gone with me, because I have a feeling if she didn’t, I probably would have had to pick my teeth up off the front steps of the arena. She stayed by my side through the entire game, because in all honesty, I was worried that she was going to beat the crap out of me anyway. After the game was over, and we were all hanging out with the team, the girlfriend (how about we call her ‘Plan’) came over and saw that I was sitting on the ledge beside Alan. Not only did she then take Alan’s cell phone, she called her best friend (in Manitoba) to complain about me. As the night went on Alan and Plan went home to Alan’s place, leaving Kayla and I with his teammates. One of the guys came up to me and mentioned that I had to convince Alan to stay in town, and not go back to Manitoba with that Nut Job. Confused, I asked them what he was talking about… Apparently I was the only one in the entire group that didn’t know just how much Alan really truly cared for me. The teammates that were still around told me that I would be the only reason he would stay, and that I  just have to tell him how I feel about him. Yikes. That right there scared the absolute hell out of me.. 

More days flew by as I sat there day in and day out thinking about what our friends had said to me. “Just tell him how you feel about him!” Are you crazy? I’m the shyest person on the face of the Earth! I thought for sure that Alan and I were a goner, and that it was never going to happen… As I sat up at Chemainus Ferry Terminal one morning with my good friend, it was really starting to hit me that he could really be leaving.. I decided to type out what I would say to Alan if I had the guts to, and I thought I would let Abbey ‘proof read’ it… Well, while she was reading it, she decided to hit send, and the message was sent to Alan before I could cancel it. I could feel my heart sink into my stomach.. Hours ticked by as I constantly check my phone in hopes of seeing a response, but got nothing.. At about 11 o’clock at night, I was laying in bed in tears, thinking that I had lost my chance.. My phone suddenly buzzed beside me, he replied! I laid there looking at the notification for 5 minutes before I had the guts to open the message.. What I read next, made me cry even more than I was before… But this time, I cried happy tears. 

“Don’t worry beautiful, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here with you. I promise.” 

I leaped out of bed with joy, I did a little dance, and I cried many tears of joy. He was staying, for me. I never expected to make that kind of impact on him… For days, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face no matter how hard you tried! I couldn’t believe it that it was finally happening..

At the end of October, she was finally leaving. Plan was going back to Manitoba, and I would never have to deal with her again! As Halloween rolled around, Alan invited me over for some drinks and to hang out with him and a couple friends. I showed up dressed as a cowgirl, and he a cowboy. He surprised me. He knew what I was dressing up as, but I didn’t know what he was planning. We ended up heading over to our friend Luke’s place, and started playing some drinking games…. I definitely should have just sat there sipping my drink, and being the game referee.. My drink of choice, Rum & Coke. It really doesn’t make for a good result in any drinking game… Especially when the other three guys are drinking beer. Let’s just say that I passed out in the bathroom, and woke up  wrapped up in Alan’s plaid shirt, and he had cleaned up after my little mishap. — The next day he took me up to the ferry terminal, so I could head back to the cozy little island that I was living on at the time.. Just as the ferry was docking, I gave him his shirt back, and thanked him for taking care of me.. He looked at me, grabbed a hold of my chin, and pulled my lips up to his. I died. I felt like I was floating on a cloud. I finally had the man of my dreams, and I couldn’t be happier. 

 

Years went by. We grew closer. Hell, we grew two children. Life is amazing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He is everything I’ve ever wanted in a husband, and then some. He doesn’t use any social media, nor does he go on any blog sites… So I’m 99.99999% sure he wont see this, but I sure as hell hope he realizes just how much he means to me.

 

You are my one in a million.