Revolutions

2014 Six turns around the sun is enough to make a person dizzy.
A lot changes in two revolutions around the sun. Girls become women in the most painful way possible. Men learn of heart break for the first time and friends bring people together. When I went to the 2012 summer games I had zero expectations. I had never dreamed that I would bring home a bronze medal. Never in a million years did I think London would be so good to me. Never did I think that two years later I would be paid to train and compete. Never did I think I would be standing on a picturesque lakeshore holding flowers looking at by best friend and blushing.
It took six years for me to realize something Tyler had known long ago. Love was not like in the movies. It wasn’t pretty or even nice most of the time. Love is a visceral emotion that leaves us all afraid to do what we know is right. Love leaves us crying on prom night not because we were stood up by our college aged boyfriend but because we had been too afraid to ask the boy who still had dinosaur pajamas who lived down the block. Love led us to walk away from the finish line leaving the person we loved to celebrate on their own because staying would be far too painful. Love made Tyler and I realize that we belonged together on New Year’s 2014 standing on top of a skyscraper in Boston watching the sun come up starting our next Biennial cycle together in the full fear of loving one another.
Carol and Jason had been friends of ours from home having grown up together. Tyler stood in a tux and I in the yellow dress flanking our friends as we watched them dedicate their love to one another. In less than two years’ time we planned on making the same vow. The ceremony ended and moved seamlessly into the reception at the sun set over the water.
“I didn’t get to tell you I can’t wait to do this our way.” He said drawing me in close swaying to the music as the sunlight danced on the water.
I nodded. “Yes. Kinda like this only us.”
“Running shoes and skates.” He said taking a deep breath in next to my ear holding it. It was something he just always did. I don’t think he knew that I noticed.
“Do you know when I come in close like that you hold your breath?” he asked as I let out the exact breath he was talking about.
“Do you know you do the same thing?” he asked as I slid my hands over his chest on the way to full on wrapping them around him.
He just smiled. “Yeah. I’ve done it since we were little. So my Mom says. Apparently when we were nine I told her you smelled like jelly beans all the time.”
I chuckled. “I hold my breath because half the time you smell like hockey gear and it’s self-preservation.” He laughed and kissed my temple. “Really though I always did it because I guess I was afraid of you being so close. I was afraid of what would happen. Little did I know it would be this.”
He nodded. “It only took you six laps around the sun and one douche bag to figure out what I knew all along.”
I sighed. “Yeah well some things are worth waiting for. Or in my case giving into.”