How I Met The Love of My Life

I heard my stomach grumble as I sat at my computer, working on the fourth floor of an beautiful old brick building in The Exchange District in Winnipeg.

It was early summer in 2014, and the sun was shining through the big wall of windows, putting some serious glare on my screen.

Unable to concentrate on my work because of the growling, I spun myself out of my seat, and headed out the door into the hall. The wood floors creaked under my feet, and then the stairwell railing groaned as I hoped down each landing.

I stopped running down the stairs as I got to the main floor. I didn’t want to be “that guy” flying out of the building, anxious for lunch.

There was a group of people walking out ahead of me. They’d come out of an office on the main floor, and I had to slow down. I was stuck behind them.

My stomach groaned again.

The group walked down the eight steps from the atrium to the door. The click of heels bounced off the walls from one of the women in the middle of the group.

She sounded agitated about something.

My eyes followed from her heels up her legs to her pencil skirt.

Her voice sounded familiar to me.

What a well shaped, fine lookin’…

She turned a bit as she opened the door to walk outside, and I recognized her.

“Alex!” I said.

She spun and glared at me. The meeting she had just been at was to find out that the condo project that she had been a part of had just fallen through.

I had only seen or a handful of times in the past few years, and she looked even more beautiful than I had ever realized.

Her face softened, as we chatted for a moment.

She was on her way back to work, a block away from me.

“You’re so close! We should get lunch…how about Thursday?” I said.

She agreed.

I went into that “catch-up lunch” feeling like it was a date.

I wore my best Rainbow Dash t-shirt.

I figured that, since we’d known each other since we were kids, I could just be myself around her.

My palm was feeling clammy as hand after hand shook mine in a line that stretched down the length of the church.

It was January, 2011, and moments before I had been singing Transatlanticism, by Death Cab For Cutie, at my father’s funeral.

Funerals are strange.

There are friends, family, and person after person that you haven’t seen in years. I shook hands with people who remembered me from when I was little, who taught with my dad, and I could just accept their condolences, not truly remembering who they were.

It was a relief whenever one of my closer friends came up the line. They seemed more shaken up then I did, but at the same time we ended up joking and laughing in the hall as sandwiches were served just twenty minutes later.

Alex gave me a hug.

When I talked to her the rest of what had happened over the last few days melted away, just for a second. It was just like talking to one of my best friends, but she was so much more attractive.

Stop having those thoughts Kieran, you’re at a your dad’s funeral.

Alex’s mom and my Mom used to teach together, and are good friends from spending all those years at the same schools.

It was only natural that their kids, born one year apart, would become fast friends too from a very early age.

My mom taught both Alex and her younger brother Sean.

In Grade 3 Sean used to bring a briefcase to school instead of a backpack. That’s not completely relevant but I feel like everyone needs to know that.

I never ended up going to school with Alex or Sean, even though we both went through Creative Communications at Red River College. She started and finished before me.

As little kids we’d go to each other’s houses to play. We’d tear around outside, or pretend to be on adventures in the basement.

We’d play Power Rangers, or 101 Dalmations, jumping around and having a blast.

Alex put up with my particulars when we played, and ultimately got her revenge for my bossiness because she played rougher than me.

I was honestly nervous around most animals when I was little, but Alex loved them, rescuing bugs, befriending dogs, and taking care of worms who got caught out in the sun.

I think Alex’s mom likes to think there was some kind of arrangement, that our relationship has been orchestrated since we were young…

Since we were kids, we’ve had so many moments together that have turned into this amazing relationship.

I’m so humbled to have her by my side, and thankful she feels the same way about me that I do about her.

We work hard, play harder, and respect that we are on the same team together on this journey of a lifetime.

On August 27th, 2016 we began our incredible journey of matrimony, filled with adventure, thrills, paint spills, battles with octopuses, drinking, and dancing. We are so thankful to everyone who came, and for the support of our friends and family.

We love you all so very much!

Thank you to Simply Chic Photography for the beautiful photos. They are amazing to work with. If you’d like to see the entire album of photos (all 900+ of them) or would like files for you to get prints, please let us (Alex or Kieran) know via email/Facebook.

From her to him

Kieran,

Today I have loved you for 748 days. Since then we’ve laughed, cried, seen each other fail, and watched each other succeed and we’ve grown so much together already. I know I have you to thank for all of it.

Thank you for loving me and choosing me, every good, bad, pretty and ugly thing about me. You make me better and you make me want to be better. You are passionate and dedicated, loyal and caring. You are my constant role model.

748 days ago I gave you my heart. Today I give you my soul and my promise to stand beside you everyday. Through it all, through everything, I promise to always believe in you, trust in you, encourage you and love you, with my whole heart, for my whole life. And I’m so excited to get started.

Alex Rohne

From him to her

Alex,

You are the most precious, and amazing manifestation of love in my life.

You make me smile just by being near me. I love that we can be childish together, stay up late together, or even just sit comfortably in silence. I’m excited to adventure, play, and snuggle through life with you.

You’re smart, beautiful, and you are supportive and caring. You challenge me to be a better version of me, not just for you, but for me too.

No matter what happens to us, I promise to work with you and have your back. I know that we are stronger together.

I will always, always take care of you. I will love and respect the ideas you have. I will support you and diligently listen to you.

Alex, we are a team, we are partners, and I will love you forever.

Kieran Moolchan