40. what next

My little Sister was picking me up from Cape Town airport. I still hadn’t heard anything from her on the engagement, so I was a bit nervous to see her. Instead of a worried Sis, I got this:



Yes, that is a picture of the BB sewn onto a pillow and yes, it was a bit creepy. But so sweet!

I was elated to find that my best friends and siblings were all super excited and one hundred percent behind our engagement. It seemed the BB had won them over in the few weeks we’d spent together in SA, and that little post on Facebook surely didn’t hurt any.

So BB and I continued our two-hour a day Skype marathons as we tried to figure out what next. Could I move to the US with him in January? What would I do there, could I work? Would I freeze to death / become incurably depressed in the extreme winter weather? Should we wait until March, when he was coming home to be best man at his best friend’s wedding (and the weather would improve)? I really do not fare well in cold / rainy / anything-less-than-balmy weather!

Many options but none seemed viable. It didn’t make sense for me to pack up for Madison when he’d only be there till May. It definitely made no sense to live so far apart until then either. I was curious and excited to know what would be, but I wasn’t worried. All that mattered was that we were still talking and laughing and loving each other as much and more than ever before.

Then, one happy day, Beautiful Boy phoned with unbelievably good news. He’d spoken to all the relevant authorities and in a groundbreaking decision, the UW were going to allow him to complete the final term of his MBA as an exchange student at the University of Cape Town!
This is not something that they do; this is not standard exchange procedure. But somehow, some way, my BB had used that irresistible charm and undeniable persistence of his, to ensure that he’d be home for Christmas and that this was where he’d remain. I was ecstatic. In a small matter of seven weeks, my favourite person in the whole world would be in my arms, at home, and our life together could begin.