Christie and I both started working in retail liquidation in our early 20’s, in the late 90’s early 2000’s. This is an industry where most consultants at the time were 30 to 50 years older than we were. So, when I was told there was a beautiful girl out there my age that also doing this work, I called BS. Then on top of this I was told she was also into motorcycles. This was too much. I then shouted BS! Impossible! In all my travels, I never did meet this mythical “yeti” that some people say existed. Others had had sightings, and even worked with her, but our paths had never crossed, until November of 2012. I can remember everything about that day. Everything. From the very first moment I saw her in person, our conversation throughout the visit, how taken back I was at just how beautiful she was, how well spoken and professional she was, the almost nonstop smile she gave, and how giddy I was after she left that I had finally met her! Christie and I spent the next 4+ years slowly becoming what would be the best of friends. So, when I think about Christie during the years before we were together, I just thought of her as unattainable, a total fantasy, girl of my dreams, all of those things. I knew her, we were friends but Christie always seemed to have a boyfriend (no surprise there!) when we were working together. So all I could do was just imagine myself being that lucky guy if ever we could be together. Which I did, secretly.

Then my luck changed. In late 2016, we were on a project in Winnipeg together. Christie was not in a relationship. I kept my feelings to myself out of respect, but I was secretly hoping that maybe she might see me as more than a friend. I knew this may be my chance but I didn’t want to lose my best friend nor my job. After some serious soul searching, and a bunch of heart to heart talks with my sister (thank you Becky!) I decided I was ready to risk it all.

Oh man nothing prepared me for courting Christie or opening up my heart to her. Scariest thing I’d ever done ‘cause the stakes were so high, and I’d done plenty of scary things. But I’ve never been anything but honest about my feelings, so I just found the right time and told her how I felt, and let the chips fall where they may. I mean I wasn’t going to spend the rest of my life regretting that I held back.

It was the most magical time in my life when Christie came around to the idea that we could be more than friends. That we could be a couple. I had to pinch myself that it wasn’t a dream. I had her on such a pedestal, and then to have her in my arms, there was no better feeling in the world. I have read about it in books, and have seen it in movies, but to actually be in love with my best friend, to be MARRIED to my best friend? Wow. It feels good folks. A dream come true.