Love is a curious and complex thing to most of us, including Jane, a single woman from a family where she was taught to prioritize career and education over marriage.
No wonder she was still alone at age 29, simply not interested in being in a serious relationship just yet. Even when almost all her friends, also young adults, were getting hitched, having babies, or even remarrying. None of that influenced her decision to wait until she found someone who fit her perfectly. She knew it was just a matter of time before she ended her status as a single woman. But years of being alone gave her great independence and freedom, making her complacent with staying in her comfort zone.
At the beginning of 2021, Jane decided to move to Canada, hoping to spark positive change just like the many of us who make new year’s resolutions. Bringing herself to a new place presented her with the perfect opportunity to refine her life skills and create a new story. (As she would later discover, it was the best decision she ever made.)
Jane joyfully left Shanghai on March 16 that year to seek new opportunities in Vancouver. Starting a new job was difficult; adjusting to new norms and getting to know new people and places took time. Occasionally she felt anxious as the days passed, but she was happy because of the opportunities the city offered.
She began to join communities in her area; the golf club and swimming club were the first two she looked into. Although she had these sport hobbies for years in China, she was not confident about her skills in the new communities. But after going back and forth with her decision, she finally convinced herself that there was nothing wrong with trying to blend in with new people.
Within three weeks of intensively playing golf, she made friends with another golfer, Cassandra. Meeting each other very often helped foster the relationship, and they became close friends. They mostly spent time golfing together since both were busy working on weekdays. Saturday and Sunday were the best times to meet.
One day, Cassandra invited Jane to her friend William’s birthday party, which was to be held on December 5, 2021. William knew some people wanted to bring their partners, so he welcomed everyone to bring another guest, friends included.
Unfortunately, this happened to be Jane’s promotion day at work. She was laddering up from senior marketing associate to marketing director. The HR department was planning a small celebration to recognize everyone’s hard work and commitment to always going the extra mile for the company’s success.
That meant Jane had a difficult decision to make. This event was so meaningful; however, she was reluctant to reject her best friend’s invitation. Indecisiveness always haunted her, but luckily she had developed decision-making skills. Plus, she knew that she only had one body and this was not the first time she wanted to do everything at the same time. Thus, it was not a big deal for her to think of a plan: She told Cassandra she was going to both. Appreciating Jane’s decision and willingness to accompany her, Cassandra informed William that she was going to bring her along.
The important day arrived. As planned, Jane first attended the celebration at work, then arrived at William’s birthday party one hour late. She missed the welcome speech and mingling session, which happened to be a big chance to meet new people. But being late was her decision, so there was nothing she could complain about.
Everyone was assigned a seat with their name tag on the table. After being seated by the server, Jane took a bit of time to settle down and catch up on what was going on. Food came one by one. Enjoying every taste (while being hungry) was the best feeling ever. After hours of talking and getting to know others at the table, people started leaving, hoping to see one another again.
The party was reaching an end, but this was where her fairy tale started.
With many people already gone, William approached Cassandra and thanked her for making time to come to his birthday party. But Cassandra didn’t even have a chance to respond since William, distracted by someone next to her, had already switched the conversation: He was interested in learning more about Jane, clearly smitten by her elegant style and kind smile.
Jane was in a hurry though, so she and William did not manage to have a long chat. But William successfully got her number, and they continued their chat over iMessage.
A few weeks later, William invited Jane to have Christmas dinner at Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant. That was because Jane had never been there and was curious about the food and view from the top. William treated her so well that she fell in love with him. And it was not just about his intelligence; his personality melted her heart. She had never met anyone like him and felt very special about the way he treated her since the first day they met.
Being with William led her to believe in love again; she believed in how true love is natural and effortless. She was comfortable being herself when William was around. She felt safe to share everything without fears of being judged. She trusted him and had a strong belief that he’d never do anything that would hurt her—and that they’d never struggle to express their feelings to each other. That was because they both knew that love is built on trust and respect.
A long wait finally paid off. The right person had arrived at the right moment in her life.