While he was getting dressed, his phone rang. "Hello?" He answered. It was his friend, Dusty, who was to be his partner for that night's event. "Hey, I'm not feeling so well," she said, "I think I need to stay home tonight."Although disappointed, Mr. Kate was not phased. Nothing would stop him from attending this concert. Even going solo.
Meanwhile, Kate was across town, finishing up work in the restaurant she had worked in through college. She was not thrilled to be working here, but thankful for the income and the instant job she had when she had returned from the Peace Corps that would see her through until she took the GRE and found a good graduate program. She grabbed her friend Shannon. "Are you ready? Let's get out of here!" It was Mother's Day and if they stayed a moment longer, they would be put back to work. They had been waiting impatiently for weeks to see Brett Dennen play that night at the Rialto.
Kate and Shannon arrived to the Rialto a few minutes before Mr. Kate. While waiting in line to enter they learned the name of the opening act. "Do you know who Missy Higgins is?" They asked each other. Several people behind the girls, Mr. Kate stood patiently in line. Suddenly, the girls realized they had one more ticket than they needed, and they had bought it for half the price a few days earlier. They turned around and announced: "Anybody want this ticket for half price?" It was then that Mr. Kate noticed Kate-- she was very loud and they were wearing the same pair of Converse. Good taste, he thought. It was also then that Kate and Shannon decided they would miss the Missy Higgins concert, go next door and grab a drink until Brett Dennen took the stage.
A few hours and a few drinks later Shannon and Kate entered the Rialto. They squeezed into the crowd to find the perfect view. As the music started and the lights dimmed they drifted through the crowd, dancing, laughing and singing. As they neared center stage Kate tripped and stumbled over the extension cord taped to the floor. As she was falling forward a pair of arms grabbed her and held her up. She looked up. It was Mr. Kate.
After thanking him profusely, Kate and Mr. Kate danced together the rest of the night. The fact that they were both awful dancers added to the fun they were having. At the end of the night Kate leaned in and whispered her number into Mr. Kate's ear. Then she disappeared. Mr. Kate, having left his phone at home, repeated the number to himself all the way back to his car, 2 blocks away. The next day he texted. "Hi girl from the concert, how are you today?"
They agreed to meet for lunch the following week and even though Kate was very late, Mr. Kate liked her. They enthusiastically talked for hours about science, adventure, animals, the environment, travel, living in Africa and LIFE! They instantly clicked.
A couple weeks later, they shared their first kiss right outside of Plush in downtown Tucson. Six weeks later, Kate ran into the road and saved a frog* that was about to be hit by a car and Mr. Kate told her he loved her (and she told him back). Two months later, they moved in together. A few months after that they got a puppy. A year later they went back to Africa, this time, together. And finally, a few months later, Mr. Kate proposed.
Four years after they met at the concert, on the winter solstice of 2011, Kate and Mr. Kate exchanged their vows surrounded by 40 of their closest friends on the banks of the Mara River in the Masai Mara National Park, Kenya. They are currently living happily ever after.
.jpg)
*Mr. Kate says, "Technically, it was a Sonoran Green Toad!"
Awww. So cute, so sweet. We love you guys.
ReplyDeletesniff
ReplyDeleteSniff
ReplyDeletesniff
ReplyDelete