How I Met Love, Utah Trip, Part 2

Friday, June 13, 2008

Thanks to Shanam's meeting, I was able to skip out on skiing that day :) He still went skiing early that morning, but then went straight over to his new "friend's" office and spent a couple hours with him. I had told Shanam to call me as soon as he was on his way home.

"Hey, hun. I'm done, but I can't really chat." He said. "I'll see you in a little bit and I'll tell you all about it."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you soon."

I was a little disappointed, but he sounded preoccupied, so I just let it go and focused on getting ready for that evening. He and his family were coming over to meet my family...and not just my immediate family. Since I wasn't able to make it home to visit very often, the whole extended family was invited to come over for dinner. This included my grandmother, my aunt and uncle with their four kids and my other aunt and uncle with their three kids. It was going to be quite the get together!

I was hoping Shanam would come over early so I could get some alone time with him, but he showed up with his parents at the same time my whole family was arriving. This didn't really give us a chance to talk at all and I was starting to feel a little disconnected. I could tell something was on his mind the minute he arrived, but both families were very engaged in introducing themselves and getting to know one another. Shanam and I were of course the "main attraction," so it wasn't until about an hour later that I was finally able to pull him aside.

"Hey, you." I said smiling, as we walked outside to the patio, holding hands.

"Hey, hun." He said, pulling me in for a tight hug.

"That wasn't so bad, eh? I told you my parents would like you."

"How do you know they like me, already?"

"Oh, please. First of all, how could they not like you. And second, it's a good sign when you and my dad already feel comfortable bantering back and forth." I laughed. "So, tell me about your morning. I've been waiting all day to hear about it."

"Well, skiing was great, of course, and the meeting went really, really well." He paused for a second and then said something I was almost expecting to hear. "They offered me a job."

"A job?! Wow!" I wasn't really sure what to say next because in that moment all of the implications and possibilities and unknowns bombarded my mind.

I didn't get a chance to say anything, though, because one of my younger brothers flung open the porch door and shouted for us love birds to come in for dinner.

We managed to make it through dinner, but the weight of what was just revealed was so heavy that it was hard for me to focus on anything else. There were so many questions I wanted to ask.

Was he thinking of taking the job?
Does that mean he's moving to Utah?
What will he be doing?
Is this a risk worth taking?
What does this mean for our relationship?
What part do I play in this decision?
We'd only been dating a month. Do I even have a part in this decision?


When dinner was over, the party moved outdoors onto the lawn where we set up chairs and pillows in a circle. It was fun to be with my family and to see our two families interact, but all I wanted to do was talk to Shanam. I could tell he felt the same way because he kept looking at me and giving my hand a comforting squeeze, as if to tell me everything would be alright and we would talk through it soon. I appreciated that and was able to relax a little and enjoy the evening breeze as we all chatted with each other. My Aunt Jamie was moving around the circle giving each person a shoulder massage and didn't even think about stopping when she got to Shanam and his parents. That make me laugh a little inside and I was grateful our families already felt so comfortable with each other. The evening turned out to be a great success.

After everyone left, Shanam turned to me and said, "How about we go for a walk."

"That sounds like a great idea." I said, sighing a breath of relief.

The sun had set, already, leaving behind a breathtaking sunset and the warm summer air smelled of freshly cut grass. We decided to walk along the path by the water canal that ran behind my house.

I started the conversation with, "So, a job, eh?" I figured I'd let him tell me what was on his mind first.

"Ya. Pretty crazy, huh?" He squeezed my hand. "They want me to be part of their business development team. It sounds like the perfect opportunity to see how a successful start up business runs. I get to learn from another company's successes and failures without having to take the hits myself. Then, when I start my own business, I'll have some experience, and hopefully avoid a lot of the mistakes normally made. The company seems pretty stable and I'd be working with some great guys."

"It does seem like a great opportunity. And it sounds like you're leaning towards taking the job. Does that mean you'll be moving to Utah soon?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Well, I don't really know if I'm going to take it, yet. I wanted to talk with you and see what you thought. I would be moving, but I'd first be going to Texas to learn the operations there, then to Wyoming to learn there, then finally I would be in Utah working with the management team. It's a big decision and I needed the afternoon to think about it. I also talked it over with my dad. That's why I didn't come over sooner. Sorry."

"Totally understandable...wow, I still can't believe it...I mean...how many people get offered a job like this?! Meeting the CEO at the airport, being invited to his office and then being offered a job! I really don't see how you could pass up this opportunity. You've been wanting to move out of Florida for a while, now, and here's your chance. You'd be by the mountains and could go skiing and mountain biking whenever you wanted!"

"Well, what about you?" Shanam asked.

"Me?" I gathered up my courage and decided to take the vulnerable route. "Well, I don't want to stay in Florida forever, either, you know. I would love to move back to Utah and live closer to my family...and closer to you."

"You would move for me? You would leave your job at Disney? But you love working there!"

"Shanam, I never planned on staying in Florida past my first six month internship, two years ago. But every six months I would fast and pray to know if I should stay or go somewhere else and every time I received the answer that I should stay. Things would always work out, even miracles would happen, to provide a way for me to stay in Florida." I took a deep breath and continued. "I believe I needed to stay so I could meet you."

Shanam stopped walking and drew me into his chest for a long embrace. He didn't say anything. Our heads were turned in the same direction looking towards the night sky, when all of the sudden a shooting star shot across the sky right in front of us!

"Did you just see that!!" I asked, pulling away so I could see his face. "Was that seriously a shooting star!"

Shanam laughed and looked just as shocked as I was. "It sure was! I guess we got our answer!"