A love story.

Being here in Australia means we are meeting a lot of new people - most of whom don't know our story, where we've come from, and how we ended up here.  And I can't help but laugh when people ask us how we met.  You could say our story is...not your typical love story.  To be honest, I don't even remember the first time I met Brandon.  It was sometime during the summer of 2007, and let's be honest here, I had a crush on him from the get go.  What's not to love about a cute, friendly, life of the party type of guy?  We were living in different cities at the time, but I always made a point of sending him a nonchalant Facebook message anytime I was heading to Lethbridge to "see where the parties were" that weekend.  We'd run into each other on occasion, and brief conversations lead to hours of girl talk with the roomates overanalyzing every word. "He turns 25 this year, I'd be doing him a favor to date him.  He's practically a menace to society" (ha!) I remember saying to my roomates.  While on the other hand, I'm sure Brandon thought nothing of the brief exchange of words we had.

Well a few months went by, B started dating someone, and I was distracted enough by the Edmonton YSA scene to keep me occupied for the majority of the school year.  For whatever reason though, summer has always seemed to bring us together somehow.  I had run into Brandon (who was recently single) on a few trips home and was instantly reminded of his charm.  I was in summer school, which meant the long distance crushing continued - but with the plethora of cute girls abounding in Southern Alberta during the summer, one happened to catch his eye, who happens to be a cousin of mine.  About the same time, I was also distracted by a cousin of Brandon's, and wouldn't you know it, we were both soon "off the market" and dating each others cousins.  I remember catching a ride to Edmonton with Brandon one Sunday (he had moved to Edmonton at this point) afternoon and it being so awkward!  ("So, I'm dating your cousin, you're dating mine, but I used to have a big crush on you, and did you even know that?  And - " kept going through my head).  We managed a few double dates, which should have been more awkward than it was, and eventually things didn't work out on my end, which was for the better.  A few months later, Brandon also became single again, although he was less happy about his breakup than I was mine.

April 2009.  A little bit of time passed, and Brandon and I started spending more time together again.  Commence overanalyzing round two.  I remember him picking me up for the Institute Choir Concert and just the two of us going.  I remember him stopping to talk to her for a few minutes, which I knew was a big deal, considering how depressed he had been following the breakup.  We had a fun rest of the night, he dropped me off, and I thought things were all good.  I ran into a couple of roomates of his the next day at the Institute, who began drilling me with questions of why he got home so late.  I didn't think 9:30 was THAT late, but the questions quickly ended.  And that night when he walked in holding hands with her at Color Night, I knew why.

Summertime soon rolled around and I spent as much time as I could in Waterton, hiking and spending time with friends.  Along with a few other friends, we had booked a trip to hike the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island at the end of August.  Brandon was recently single (again) and joined our crew, and we began spending time together every day to help organize and plan for the trip.  We backpacked for a week, and were still friends after, so that was a bonus.  Spending a week backpacking can make or break things you know!  We progressively spent more and more time together, and made some progress one night while reminiscing on our trip.  I had brought my computer over to share some pictures, and in the dimly lit basement, he slid his hand into my strategically placed hand.  Our first official date was a few days later, and I just crossed my fingers the whole hockey game that the Oiler's "smooch cam" didn't zoom in on us! With about 6 other couples there, I just wasn't prepared for that awkwardness.

Long drives became a bit of a thing in the early, uncertain days of our relationship.  A week or so into things, I could tell something was up with B. We still spent a lot of time together, but in a more-than-friends-but-I-can't-commit-to-dating-you kind of way.  So naturally, we went for a drive, and I called him out on it.  We spent the next hour driving up and down the city streets of Edmonton and Brandon explained his reasons for not being able to commit to anything right now.  And as much as I hated to hear it, I couldn't help but appreciate his honesty and concern for my feelings, and I felt good about where things were at.

At the end of September 2009, I moved to Canmore for my final practicum of nursing school.  No doubt, Brandon was still in the back of my mind, and I figured this would give him some time and space to work things out.  I visited Edmonton a time or two, and our paths crossed on occasion, but nothing more than that until I moved back to Edmonton the following January.  And the cycle continues on!  As one might expect, we starting spending time together again.  I could tell B was being cautious about things, and we jumped back into the more-than-friends-but-not-dating category again.  At least in my books anyway.  Eventually we ended up going for another drive, where he gave me a really vague explanation of why we couldn't date, which after much discussion with my roomates, we decided he had a mail order bride coming.  It was about the only thing that fit with his story.  And again, I was weirdly okay with how things had left off.

Okay, that's not entirely true.  I was okay with it for a time.  I ended up getting a job in Cardston at the end of March 2010, so I moved home to Southern Alberta, excited to make some money and be close to Waterton for the summer.  Coincidentally Brandon ended up moving home about a month later, and it wasn't long before I heard that he was again off the market, with the same girl.  All of a sudden his whole weird explanation made so much sense - he just didn't want to tell me that he still wasn't over her!  And at that point I became convinced that he never would be.  So I deleted his number from my phone and told myself that it was done.  For REAL this time (ha!).

I'll admit, for the next few months, I really was done with it.  I moved on and was easily entertained by any new man that came along and wanted to take me out, and basically just cleared my mind of all the drama (self-inflicted or not) of the past little while.  I had a few friends who were skeptical of my emotional detachment from Brandon, and thought that I was in denial and just putting on a front to guard myself.  But I can promise that I was really over it!  For a short time anyway...

Halloween 2010.  It was a Sunday, and naturally games night was happening, as often does in the YSA world on Sunday nights.  I showed up to a small gathering of friends and was surprised when Brandon walked in the door and mentioned that he had just pulled into town from spending the weekend in Edmonton.  I hadn't seen him around the YSA scene much since they had gotten back together, and I couldn't help but wonder what his current relationship status was.  We exchanged a few brief words between games of Mafia, and at the end of the night, I wished him a happy birthday and we went on our separate ways.  He came back into the YSA social scene soon after, and my questions of him being single again were confirmed.  At that point, the fact was merely a point of interest to me, as I was a bit preoccupied by the boy next door, but slowly and surely, I allowed Brandon back into my phone, and eventually back into my life.

Things started back up as friends, which I was totally okay with.  At that point in time, previously mentioned boy next door had my attention, and B was just a fun guy to spend some time with.  But then in December, the dynamic changed a bit when Brandon asked me to be his date to his work Christmas party.  Now, I know a date isn't THAT big of a deal, but considering all the history that we had I figured I wouldn't be crazy in assuming there was maybe a little bit more there.  Over time, I started to remember all of the reasons why I had fallen for Brandon in the first place, and I was soon conflicted between him and the boy next door.  So I kept hanging out with both of them.  After all, neither of them was making me choose or commit, so why should I?

And once again, things took a bit of a turn on a Saturday night in January of 2011.  I was at the church with the boy next door, practicing the piano while he studied and practiced the piano in a different room.  It wasn't uncommon for us to go practice for a bit, and then usually one of us would invite the other over to play games, watch TED talks, or just to chat.  But this night he was Mr. Moody and the thought of spending my Saturday night with him wasn't exactly appealing.  B had given me a call while I was practicing the piano and was looking for something to do,  so when I got home he came over with a couple of movies for us to watch.  We chose Last of the Mohicans, sat in opposite corners of the sectional, and made ourselves comfortable.  As the movie went on, the gap between us became smaller and smaller, until our arms were touching, which led to holding hands, cuddling, and then a kiss!  I say he went 80, I went 20.  He says it was the other way around.  Jury's still out on this one.

I was the first girl that Brandon had ever kissed that wasn't his girlfriend at the time.  So naturally, I couldn't help but wonder what his intentions were following our first kiss.  We spent some time together the following week snowmobiling and cuddling in front of the fire, but I would be lying if I said that boy next door didn't cross my mind.  I was torn between the two, but rolling with what I had already started.  I was leaving to Africa for two weeks in just a couple of days, so one night before leaving Brandon's house I brought up the "so...what are we?" conversation that I had become so comfortable with by now.  Because of his past relationship, B wanted to take things really slow, so he wasn't ready to commit to dating just yet, but he also wasn't ready to stop hanging out.  Perfect.  Secret dating.  And on that note, I took off to Africa.

I'm pretty sure I owe Jade BIG TIME for that trip.  The amount of times she had to hear my boy dilemmas over the next two weeks was ridiculous.  "Well the boy next door is super smart and talented and we've been spending a lot of time together, but Brandon is just so much fun and I feel a bit more committed to him since we've kissed, but I don't want to stop hanging out with the boy next door, so...what do I do?!"  And Jade, in all her wisdom, counseled me patiently that until one of them was forcing me to commit, that I didn't have to!  So the day after I got home, B came over, and it was just the slightest bit awkward.  I think because we both expected that the other would want to pick up where things left off, so when things didn't and neither of us pushed things, it was a bit surprising.  Our relationship became strangely platonic, but that was okay.  Valentine's Day soon followed, which consisted of an apologetic phone call from Brandon the day after saying that he meant to wish me a happy Valentine's day, but ended up working late.  After that, we both went our separate ways, and to be honest, I don't remember interacting much with Brandon over the next few months.  I think I got sidetracked by another boy or something.

Summertime rolled around and doing sweet hikes was my number one agenda.  I had been checking hikes off my list left and right, and my cousin Scott was planning a trip to climb Mt. Cleveland in August with a crew that included Brandon.  We had hung out a bit during the summer and were pretty comfortable in the friend zone, so I expected the trip to be uneventful.  Well let me tell you, if you want to avoid falling in love with a mountain man - don't go on a three day backpacking trip with him!  After crossing some sketchy terrain and bushwhacking down a 10,000 foot mountain in the dark, how could I not get sucked back in after he led us to the safety of our camp?  And not to mention that curly afro and six pack:

I digress.  Anyways, it was game over after that trip.  Once again, Brandon had shown me all of his wonderful qualities, and I just couldn't help myself.  And apparently he couldn't either.  Shortly after our trip Brandon starting coming over more often and started doing random favors for me, like picking up my hiking pants from my cousin Sarah's in Magrath as he was passing through.  Over the next few weeks we spent more and more time together, and I remember one Sunday night drive as we headed to Clark's in Leavitt to play games.  Brandon told me that he had some exciting news, but that I had to keep it a secret for now.

"I got into med school!" Um...sweet!  I knew he had been trying to get in for a little while, so I was super excited for him.

"In Australia.  I move there in January!"  Not for one minute did I worry about what this would mean for our relationship.  Its funny actually, but throughout all of the drama and bumps along the road, I always had a feeling that things would just work out between Brandon and me.  I think we held hands for the (third) first time on that drive home, and had our (second) first kiss the next day while watching a romantic episode of Planet Earth.

Before Brandon got accepted into med school, he had come up with a backup plan to work landscaping with his cousin Dave in Edmonton.  Which meant he was going to be moving come September.  So as things progressed along throughout the month of August, naturally the topic of "us" came up one night while we watched the Whoop Up Days fireworks from the pop top of my VW van.  We eventually decided that we would date until Brandon moved and then do the long distance thing.  I wasn't excited about the distance, and I tried to convince Brandon to just stick around Lethbridge until January, but something about being loyal to his cousin and being a man of his word made him pretty determined to go and help Dave out, even if it was just for a few months.  So I was willing to work with what we had.  In my mind a December wedding wasn't out of the question, but I should have known that Brandon didn't make important life choices on a whim.  Eventually the distance didn't work out, but our paths still crossed on occasion over the next couple of months.

Then came December.  Brandon moved back to Lethbridge, and within a day we were having our (not so) secret Christmas fling.  We spent a lot of time together, and I counseled with my confidant Cristy a LOT about what to do/say when Brandon left.

"Do you love him?"

"Yeah...I think I do!"  I'm pretty sure that was the first time that I had ever confessed to loving Brandon Steed.  I'm sure it wasn't the first time that I did love him, and I couldn't quite pinpoint when my feels had changed from a crush to love.  But at that point in time, I just knew that I did.  And I knew that I would regret it if I let him move to Australia without telling him.

Cristy and I discussed the options at length and decided that the best approach was to wait until the night before Brandon left to tell him how I felt.  That way, if it made things awkward I wouldn't have to deal with it.  Brandon later informed me that this was the worst possible time to say something, but Cristy and I decided it was a win-win.  Either it would freak him out and he would never want to talk to me again, which he wouldn't have to since he'd be living in Australia.  Or he could have something to stew over for the 24 hour plane ride and we could see where things went from there.  Judging by the way things turned out, I think it was the right choice.  Brandon came over the night before his flight left and we went out and delivered some Christmas hampers for his parents, then ended up back at my house.  He still had packing to do and wasn't planning on staying long, but I just had to get my two cents in before he left.  I had him open his belated Christmas present (a Lonely Planet for Australia), and then stumbled through my own thoughts to try and get the words out.  After what seemed like an eternity of silence with my heart pounding through my chest, I said it.

"I love you."

Followed by a bunch of other rambling about how I didn't how long I had felt this way, and that I didn't expect that anything would happen from me saying it.  I just knew I would regret it if I didn't.

It definitely caught Brandon off guard, and I can still remember the shock on his face.  I think he was expecting more of an "I'm going to miss you" instead of the L bomb.  But he handled it well as he proceeded to tell me how much he appreciated our friendship and the fact that I didn't hate him after all these years.  He thanked me for treating him so well, and apologized for the fact that although he thought of me as more than a friend, he couldn't say that he loved me at that point in time.  I expected that.  If I had learned anything about Brandon by now, it was that he wanted to be very sure of how he felt before he said anything.  A few hugs, kisses, and a tear or two later, we said our final goodbyes and Brandon headed home.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind for both of us.  Brandon arrived in Brisbane, got settled, and started school, while I moved to Edmonton to start a new job in Intensive Care.  I got a Facetime call from Brandon one night and it was so great to see his face!  Initially we talked about once a week, and as time went on the calls became more and more frequent.  Meanwhile, I was going on dates with a few guys in Edmonton, one in particular who was quite persistent.  Were it not for the fact that I didn't want to stop talking to B I may have ended up dating Mr. Persistent, but I just didn't feel like I could string them both along.

Brandon and I didn't talk about "us" very often, but one night it came up somehow and we both agreed that our virtual relationship could only go on for so long.  Since I was the one with the full time job and the ability to take time off, I threw out the idea of me going to Australia for a visit when Brandon had Easter holidays.  As if the L bomb hadn't freaked him out enough already!  Initially he wasn't too keen, but after I assured him that I wouldn't expect a proposal if I came, he gave me the go ahead to book my ticket.

April rolled around and I don't know if I was more excited or scared to see Brandon again.  And what would I do when I first saw him?  A hug?  Kiss him?  Handshake?!  Luckily I didn't have to deal with any of that awkwardness because as soon as I got down the escalator, I was greeted with a kiss and a welcoming embrace.  The fourteen days following we saw the sights of Australia together, dove on the Great Barrier Reef, and enjoyed each others company.  And of course, the discussion clarifying our relationship status was inevitable.

"So, if people ask if we're dating when I get back to Edmonton, what am I supposed to tell them?"

"What do you want to tell them?"  Sneaky.  He always finds a way to answer my questions with the same question I just asked.  So I called him out on it and after a brief discussion we decided that we were together.  Or dating.  Or a couple.  Or whatever you want to call it.  Not that it changed anything between us, except the fact that we could make it known to the general public.  The two weeks passed quickly and soon we were back at the airport, saying our goodbyes.  I hate goodbyes.   I shed a couple of tears and started the journey back to Canada, not knowing for sure when I would see Brandon again.

After I got home our virtual relationship continued, but it wasn't long before we started to discuss how things were going to work out between us.  We both decided that it would be in the best interest of our relationship if we could see each other again, and Brandon had two weeks off at the end of June.  To our dismay, flights were insanely expensive, and we both succumbed to the fact that that it just wasn't realistic.  Or at least I thought both of us did.  Until one night Brandon asked what my plans were those two weeks, and if I could pick him up at the airport when he flew in.  My jaw must have hit the floor.  Brandon's a pretty frugal guy, and I knew that med school was costing him a pretty penny, so I hadn't even considered the option of him booking an expensive flight to see me.  I guess you can't put a price tag on love!  (That's what we kept telling ourselves, as we bought plane ticket after plane ticket).

He flew into Edmonton on a Sunday night, and I swear I watched a thousand people walk through the security doors before he did.  Seven other flights landed before Brandon's, and at one point I started to wonder if it was some sort of cruel joke, and that he wasn't actually coming.  But then he came!  Our reunion was even sweeter than the last.  And the next two weeks were pretty much the best.  We went for bike rides around Edmonton, barbequed together, and drove Wesley to Waterton for a picnic and had to push start him when he wouldn't start.  We rode horses, played with the nieces, went fishing with my dad, and visited with friends.  And late one night in my parents basement after watching Rio, Brandon told me he loved me.  I knew he had felt that way for a little while now, but it was so good to finally hear those words come out of his mouth.

By the end of Brandon's trip, we both knew things were headed toward marriage, so we discussed a few of the logistics of how that was going to work.  Brandon was coming home for a couple months in October, but we didn't want to wait that long to get engaged because we didn't want a Christmas wedding.  Too hectic.  We played around with the idea of meeting up in Hawaii for a weekend so neither of us would have to travel quite so far, but in the end it was just easier if I went back to Australia.  No complaints here!  And with that I booked a lengthy 8 day trip to Australia for September.

Then came the issue of the ring.  Yes, I would need an engagement ring I suppose.  We tried on a few while Brandon was visiting, but I wasn't completely sold on any of them.  When Brandon got back to Australia he starting looking and was continually asking me questions about what I wanted.  Solitaire or multiple diamonds?  Halo or no halo?  Diamonds on the band or no?  Round or princess cut?  Did I want him to choose, or did I want to pick it?  So many decisions!  Not to mention you never know what its going to look like on your hand.  I wanted Brandon to pick something he liked too, but I was never sold on any of the rings he showed me.  I had been looking on Etsy at some rings with other stones, and just kept going back to one in particular.  It was a thin rose gold band with tiny diamonds, and an oval cut peach sapphire as the center stone with a halo.  I was a bit nervous about choosing a ring that I had never tried on, but when I mentioned the ring to Brandon and he said he thought about getting something other than a diamond, I decided then and there that that was the perfect ring for me.

So September came and I hopped on a plane to Australia to go get engaged.  The ring could only be shipped to Canada, so I tucked it in my purse and it was all I could do not to wear it and show everyone how pretty it was.  I gave it to Brandon as soon as we got back to his house, and I swear for the rest of the week he carried it with him EVERYWHERE!  He claims that was the only way to keep the proposal a surprise, and he's probably right.  He only threw me off once, when he got down on one knee as we were on a romantic walk along the river one night, only to ask me if we could go home.  But then, on Saturday, September 15, 2012, after a day of driving and exploring down the coast, we stopped at Burleigh Heads right before sunset.  We hiked up to a lookout and enjoyed the beauty of the coastline at dusk, and Brandon started saying all sorts of nice things about me.  Then next thing I knew he was down on one knee asking me to be his wife!  The only words I could get out were, "You know I will!" as I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight.

I guess you could say the rest is history.  We were married in the Cardston Temple for time and all eternity on November 24, 2012 surrounded by our dearest family and friends (but that's a post for another day).  Our life is a never-ending adventure and there's nobody that I'd rather be with than Brandon.  He is the most patient, hardworking, loving husband, and he's the best thing in the world for me.  Definitely worth the wait :)  Love you B!