The Bride
Kinnik
If I had stayed home that night, there would be no Sky and Jett.
It had been raining heavily in Atlanta, and truthfully, I almost didn’t go. I had just come through a demanding season of work, travel, and responsibilities, and my weekends had been completely spoken for. A friend was celebrating her 50th birthday, and I had been looking forward to finally having an evening to dress up, celebrate, and simply enjoy life. Still, the rain made staying home incredibly tempting. The party was nearly an hour away, and I found myself debating whether it was worth the drive. Something told me it was.
So I put on my metallic silver outfit, my interpretation of the requested all-white attire, because even then I believed the evening deserved a little sparkle, grabbed my brand-new oversized umbrella, and stepped out into the rain. I had no idea I was walking directly toward the man I would marry. When I arrived, the party was full and lively. I stood near the outskirts of the room, quietly observing the celebration and attempting to stay out of the way.
The crowd shifted. I shifted. And eventually, I found myself standing beside a handsome, distinguished gentleman I had never met. He looked at me and said, “Hi, I’m Jett. And you are?” “Sky.” Jett. Sky. In hindsight, God certainly has a sense of humor.
We started talking. One conversation became another. Travel. Life. Change. My upcoming move to Dallas. And then, naturally, food. I mentioned that my plan after the party was to head to Spondivits, one of my favorite Atlanta late-night spots for more than twenty years, for crab legs and my favorite drink. He asked if he could come. I figured, why not? He took my oversized umbrella, held it over us, and walked me through the rain to my car. Today, that umbrella is part of our love story.
That night, however, I believed I was simply going to dinner with a handsome man I had just met. Because I was preparing to move to Dallas, I assumed there was a good chance we would never speak again. Apparently, that assumption gave me permission to tell this complete stranger entirely too much about myself. I chatted away. I laughed. I overshared. And I was completely myself.
A year later, I can smile at the woman sitting across from Eone that night, talking without reservation because she believed there was nothing to lose. She had absolutely no idea what she was gaining. I thought Dallas meant I was leaving something behind. I didn’t know I was being led toward everything that was waiting for me.
But God…
