The Story
Prologue
A Drift
The bowl of DC apples was quickly disappearing in Ethan’s backpack when Aleah saw him. He was stealing the fruit for a Halloween party at Westmont and Aleah was thinking, “What an odd scene. What a handsome stranger.”
A water bottle was left in the back of Ethan’s car. It was a convenient excuse for Aleah to see this handsome stranger again. “Sure, come pick it up any time, I am making lemonade out of lumpy lemons”.
They learned Morse code for each other, well… Aleah did at least. She encoded thoughtful sentences over text .-- .... .. .-.. . / . - .... .- -. / ..- ... . -.. / .- / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / - .-. .- -. ... .-.. .- - --- .-.
Chapter nº 1
The Summer of Six
The housing director at Westmont has mixed reviews, primarily contingent on one’s current housing placement. Of all the comments on his work, he might not have ever been called Cupid. That is until he put Aleah and Ethan’s summer apartments next to each other.
Apartment 5 and 6, sit catty-corner to each other at Ocean View (Westmont’s off-campus apartment complex). In between the apartments and under the stairs, there was a previously unused patch of concrete. That summer an outdoor living room cropped up in this no-mans-land, aided by some salvaged couches, rugs from the community dumpster. and the carefree attitude towards the rats that ran through on occasion.
It was in this space, affectionately called The Dojo, that Aleah and Ethan reconnected after a year of trans-Pacific distance, COVID, and a gentle ebb of friendship. That summer read like a Hemingway novel. All non-working hours were spent chasing the sun, skating Greenwell, throwing together group dinners, drinking boxed wine at the beach, asking big questions at 2 am, eating wedding leftovers lying on the floor, dreaming of Big Sur, and listening to Sumbuck.
Aleah and Ethan’s friendship flourished in the early summer. By late summer as they parted ways before the approaching school year, Aleah whispered to Ethan, “Thanks for toeing the line between friendship and romance” as she got in the car and drove away.
Chapter nº 2
The Curse Reverse
Aleah had tried unsuccessfully to go to Big Sur many times. So when she and Ethan found themselves discussing their undeniable feelings for each other on the eve of a journey to Big Sur, it only made sense to leave it to fate. If they did indeed cross the threshold to Big Sur that would bless their budding romance, and if not, well we will never know because. . .
they made it
Big Sur has become their North Star ever since.
Chapter nº 3
Rhythms & Romance
To immortalize their first date, the Malibu police department issued two parking tickets for the car that drove them to the Getty Villa and a sunset at Point Dume. It was not a sign.
They didn’t shout our love from the rooftops. They instead painted it on a fence for all of the southbound 101 traffic to see.
Tuesday nights were for a glass of mead at the Apiary. “I love you” came tumbling out in the parking lot as they pulled into our usual parking spot.
A roadtrip to sail with their friends, Ali and Sid, in the PNW was the first of many big adventures to come. It was also their first foray into shooting Super 8.
Chapter nº 4
The Parlay
Aleah and Ethan agreed that sometimes it's silly to talk about something and sometimes it's silly not to talk about something. This is how they felt about the conversation regarding getting married. When it finally felt silly not to talk about it, however, they were in different countries. We decided, in true pirate spirit, to parlay the conversation for a reunion dinner at Loquita. Between sangria and patatas bravas, they began imaging married life, together.
Chapter nº 5
The Final Exam
What serves as a better test for the partnership of marriage than trying to figure out a meal at 9 pm while sick, freezing, and in a deep caloric deficit in a foreign country?
Aleah and Ethan traveled to London, Paris, and the South of France for two weeks with their friends this past fall. It was a delightful trip refreshing their visual vocabulary, Rick Steves historic walking tours, lingering meals, and companionship with dear friends. It was also a great proving ground for the tools, language, and wisdom they had accumulated.
Chapter nº 5
Big Questions
Ethan and Aleah asked four of the most important questions of their lives. First to their parents, crowed at intimate tables in San Diego and Phoenix, and then to each other. Returning to the craggy stretch of Big Sur coastline that first witnessed their love fully realized, Ethan asked Aleah to marry him. She said yes. Turning the question on Ethan a couple weeks later at a secluded spot overlooking Santa Barbara, Aleah asked the same. He said yes.
