Chief of Staff - Duty #1

"And I'm not gonna take it back

And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that

You're the target that I'm aiming at

Got to get that message home

My song is love

My song is love, unknown

But I'm on fire for you, clearly

You don't have to be alone

You don't have to be on your own"

- "A Message" by Coldplay

It was a bright, crisp day in late August when I moved into Meadows West #216, my first day of college. I had thought so much about who I'd be rooming with, and I felt like had no clues to go from.  

Kate Andrews

22 Pine Street

Manchester, MA

"Vanilla." I thought.

She picked the right side of the room because she got there first. I got over it (I feel the same about "left" as I do about odd numbers.) because she handed me a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie.

Fast forward 10 years (TEN!)

She's my hetero-lifemate. (Made a mistake once while talking to a coworker of hers, trying to make a joke about being hetero-lifemates and said "life partners" instead. Shoulda seen that girl's face!)

We have been through an awful lot together, and it seems like even more not together. When I moved to Colorado in search of greener pastures, Kate was single like me, living in an apartment with roommates, like me (but not me, which sucked.) When I had been in Colorado for about 6 months, she started officially dating someone. I didn't believe he existed because they had known each other for 3 years and I had never met him. They would sneak off late at night to meet and they had actually written each other letters. 

"He actually wants to go on a real date. Like, he's going to take me out to dinner," it began. 

"He said he wants to do something next weekend, and he remembered this exhibit I want to see," it continued.

He admitted that he had been a fool, and that something he wanted was there, under his nose all along.

Then it turned real. It became a relationship, the first real one she'd been in. Then they were in love, and I was still in Colorado. Another 6 months later...she said he had talked about a ring. I said, "You tell him one thing. You tell him he cannot go any further here until I meet him. This is ridiculous." It was just as important for me to meet this guy and approve (although I knew I did) as it was for him to approach the Sarge and ask his permission.

I went for St. Patrick's Day, and he was everything I had hoped, and she was glowing and stood up straighter and cool as a cucumber about it all.

When I visited again over Easter weekend for Emilie's Bachelorette party, we ended up at Kate's late night and the sweetheart of a man brought us late night Dunkin' Donuts. It was just right.

The next morning, Easter morning, he came over with a sweet potted plant and an Easter basket filled with goodies for Kate. We were still babbling about last night's turn of events as he waited patiently for her to examine his gifts.

She took them into the bedroom, where he was fixing the bed up, and I went to the bathroom to give them a moment (no more, trust me) of privacy. Not something I'm used to giving to Kate.

When I came out, he was swinging her in the air and she was crying the happiest tears I've ever seen. 

And lucky me got to be there to witness it first hand, and be the first to know the news. It was very overwhelming.

Now, they are engaged, and Kate has appointed me the Maid of Honor...except she doesn't like that term, so it's Chief of Staff. I couldn't be prouder.

I'm also her personal graphic designer/wedding planning assistant.

Now I can share these images because they've been sent and seen and responded to!

After everything that we've been through and all of the fun we've had and the pillar she's become for me, it's still kind of hard for us to be nice to each other. We've gotten much better at it in the past couple of years...even to the point that I can write a sappy post about it and still get goosebumps when I think about being present on what will go down in her books as one of the happiest days of her (and my) life. 

xo