Following Bliss (The Quest series)
Page 13
“I’m telling you, I believe this law is for real, but when I receive shitty service at a restaurant, or someone cuts me off in traffic, I get really frustrated. I know that the Universe is showing me, “me,” on some level—especially if it triggers me—but you know sometimes I wish the Universe would give me a break. Can’t I be in a crappy mood and not have it come right back to me?” Jonathan asked.
Daniel and Shelby laughed. Although Jonathan’s comment caused Daniel to pause briefly to reflect on Kaley’s behavior. If the Universe was always showing him, “him,” what was Kaley showing him? Where in his life was he not being 100 percent truthful? Where was he pretending he wanted one thing, but really wanted another? He was going to have to do some further reflecting on it. Nothing was random, he knew that, so there was some investigating that needed to take place.
Shelby chimed in, “Oh, Jonathan, I know all about that. My boss is a complete ass. He never gets back to me in a timely fashion, he hands out orders, and he never checks in with others before making important decisions. I can’t figure out how I attracted him into my life…” Shelby took a long pause.
“Something coming to mind?” Jonathan inquired.
“Actually, yes. Talking about this out loud is bringing something up. I acted a bit like that with my younger sisters growing up. I was bossy and didn’t listen to them—and thought I was always right. And actually, even though it’s not exactly the same manifestation, I still carry some of that within me when it comes to my sisters. I don’t boss them like I used to, but I still think I am right. Shit. I think I’m starting to realize how my boss was able to come into my experience. He’s showing me that part of myself that still needs to be healed!”
“Nice work Shelb!” Daniel said, fist-bumping her. They both cracked up. Fist-bumping was so ridiculous, it always made them laugh.
“So, now,” Jonathan said, leaning in. “Now, you get to the fun part. Just by observing this inside of you, it will begin to shift. You’ll notice more when you act that way with your sisters and you’ll be able to adjust. And then, you get to choose what healing method you want to use to release that old story and vibration. Do you have good healers you can lean on?”
“Hmm…good question. Daniel has raved about BodyTalk and I have an intuitive healer I see every six months or so. Maybe I should schedule a session to clear out this old vibration.”
“I highly recommend it,” Jonathan said. “It definitely allows you to more quickly shed that old story and then manifest more of what you do want. Like maybe a nicer boss.”
“Or no boss at all,” Shelby laughed as she looked over at Daniel.
Just then, Jonathan’s wife, Emily, came over. “I thought I heard you guys talking about the Law of Attraction. You do not want to get Jonathan started. He can talk endlessly about this topic,” she said laughing.
“Too late!” Daniel and Shelby said in unison, bursting into laughter.
“I don’t know why I was hanging out over there,” Emily said, ”The party is obviously here. Daniel, how do you know Kaley again?”
“Well, I don’t actually,” said Daniel. “We met at the Willamette Writers Conference, the same day I met Shelby. I met Shelby right before my scheduled pitch with Kaley and our conversation completely relaxed and invigorated me. By the time I went in to meet Kaley, I no longer felt nervous. Somehow that worked for me and she was interested. Then, the next thing I knew, she invited me to Maui to “network,” Daniel used air quotes, “with others in the industry. But once I got here, I got the impression that you all weren’t exactly here to talk business.”
Jonathan and Emily exchanged looks, looks that only couples who had been together for some time could exchange. Jonathan chuckled and then said, “Kaley means well, but sometimes she gets a little ahead of herself.” He reached into his back pocket, pulling out a gold-embossed business card. “But honestly, Daniel, I really like your energy and passion. Send me your manuscript and I’ll see if it has potential at our publishing house. If not, I can definitely make a recommendation on where it may be a fit.”
Daniel smiled, glancing over at Shelby. “Jonathan, thank you. I will definitely send you my manuscript and if it’s a fit, great—if not, that’s okay too. But I appreciate the opportunity all the same.”
“It’s a sign, either way, right?” Jonathan said.
“Absolutely.” The two men raised their glasses in unison.
It was in that moment that the trip to Maui came into even clearer perspective for both Daniel and Shelby.
# # #
“I’m going to miss you,” Shelby said as she packed her suitcase.
Daniel came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and nuzzling into her ear. “I’m going to miss you, too,” he said, squeezing her tightly.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to get them out of Maui on the same flight on the same day, so now they would be journeying back on separate Hawaiian Air flights. Shelby later that afternoon and he late the next day. They hadn’t discussed how things might change in Portland. Daniel had briefly given thought to what he would do with his studio since his lease was expiring soon. And now that being a writer was no longer something he had to painstakingly try to make happen he no longer needed a bachelor pad writing studio. He had a solid outline and start on his second novel in Maui, and felt inspired to self-publish Shannon Town regardless of whether Jonathan found a home for it at his publishing house.
Life was opening up for him in ways he hadn’t seen coming and Kaley, Maui, Shelby, Jonathan, and his mom were all important pieces of the puzzle that had led him to this place. He knew he was ready to expand and as far as he was concerned going back to life as it was prior to Shelby was no longer an option. And while he had never lived with a woman before, it did occur to him that perhaps that was next for him and Shelby. As much as he was going to miss her over the next 24 hours, he also knew it was a good opportunity for him to connect with his deeper wisdom to get more clear about what the future held.
Shelby leaned her head back into Daniel and sighed. “I think I’m all set to go. Will you drive me?”
Daniel turned her around, “Of course I will. I am determined to get every last possible second with you that I can.”
She smiled, standing on her tip toes kiss Daniel.
“And how will you spend the next 24 hours Mr. Tillman?”
“Oh well, that’s a big secret. But it does involve sitting on the beach and thinking about you. And possibly some additional ‘thinking,’ about you in the evening and in the morning.”
Shelby giggled. “Tease. Although I’ll probably be in the same boat. Flying, reading Paulo Coelho, and ‘thinking’ about you. Yep, sounds about right.”
As they walked out to Daniel’s car, Shelby’s bag in tow, they both looked up at the clear blue sky, smiling.
“Who knew all this was in store for us when you arrived last week, eh?”
“Well, your mom kind of did.”
“Touché,” said Daniel, grabbing Shelby and kissing her deeply. The Universe had seen this coming all along. He couldn’t help but wonder how things might have been different over the past 11 years if he had known that his mom was with him the whole time.
# # #
Looking out the airplane window, Shelby couldn’t help but feel a mixture of sadness, joy, love, and hope. She had no idea what was next for her and Daniel, but she could feel that big changes were on the way. Being with Daniel provided her with so much inspiration that she was unbelievably clear that working as an assistant at Hello Portland was no longer serving her highest good. She needed to be creating, and jewelry was her passion. She had woken up early one morning in Maui, filled with inspiration to form a partnership with a local women’s shelter and have a small portion of sales go to support the women. Having been raised in an abusive home, Shelby knew all too well the devastation that was possible. Being able to support women who, like her mom, desperately needed outside help, filled her with hope and joy.
Although her relationship with Daniel was super-new, Shelby couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps living together might be part of that expansion. She instantly felt compelled to dial up Kathryn to get her perspective. Flying nixed that. And Kathryn was probably neck-deep in the commitment ceremony planning process, Shelby mused.
She and Scott were holding a ceremony in a few weeks on November 11. And while it had originally started out as a simple affair, it had quickly grown into quite the event. Shelby had heard that 111 people would be attending the partially indoor and outdoor event at McMenamins Grand Lodge. Kathryn had asked Shelby to stand up with her, along with her friend Jess and sister Audrey. Their friendship had immediately felt like a deep spiritual, sisterly bond that both she and Kathryn valued. Shelby was touched that she was included in Kathryn’s commitment ceremony, even though they had only been friends for a little less than a year.
“Excuse me miss,” Shelby’s thoughts were interrupted by the woman sitting next to her. “Sorry to bother you, but I couldn’t help but notice the book you’re reading. Is it by Paulo Coelho?” the woman asked.
“Yes! This is one of my favorites, I’m reading it over again,” Shelby said as she picked up Eleven Minutes, turning it over and then smoothing the cover. Kathryn had turned her on to Paulo’s inspiring work. “Are you a Coelho fan?”
The woman, slightly demure, with light ash blonde hair, glasses, and wearing a long jean skirt and floral button-up blouse, nodded eagerly. “I am. I feel so connected when I read his work.”
“I know, me too! And this one is so sexy. I’ve recently fallen in love and it’s been fun reading this book while it’s all happening.”
“Oh, congrats. Your whole face lit up when you mentioned falling in love. Is this guy the one you want to spend your life with?”
Shelby paused. Did she even believe in spending her life with one person? Her parents’ estranged marriage that ended in divorce always made Shelby leery of marriage, even though she always figured it would happen “someday.” But now faced with a serious prospect in Daniel she had to re-evaluate. And if she did believe in one person for a lifetime, would it be Daniel? She knew she was meant to be in his life and he in hers. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that they had a deep and meaningful connection. She even thought of them living together. But forever? This would definitely be a Kathryn conversation.
In the meantime, she simply said, “Maybe,” smiled weakly at the woman and turned her head to once again look out the airplane window.
# # #
Daniel sipped a glass of lemonade while staring out into the ocean from the courtyard of the condo property. He had dropped Shelby off an hour ago and immediately felt a slight emptiness with her gone. Kaley and the others had flown over to Kauai for an extended excursion, so Daniel had some time to reflect on his experience over the past 11 days.
“Mom,” Daniel said quietly. He felt like he needed to connect with her, and while he wasn’t sure if simply calling her name would do the trick, he figured it was worth a try.
Wind rustled the palm trees around him and he felt cold chills cover his torso and down his spine. “Mom is that you?” The breeze blew through again, this time with more of a gust. “Okay, I’m going to take that as a yes.”
Daniel continued, “I think you’re right. I think Shelby is the one for me. But I don’t know how to do this—I’ve never even lived with a woman. I spent so much time protecting and cutting myself off from women after I lost you that I’m clueless now. I didn’t feel worthy of giving and receiving deep love from a woman. I’m going to need a lot of help and guidance with this.”
As he said this, the face of an intuitive BodyTalk healer that Daniel had seen before popped into his mind. He hadn’t thought of her in months, but Gabby was quite gifted and had been a big part of the reason why Daniel made the leap to getting his studio and focusing solely on his writing.
“Are you telling me to schedule a session with Gabby for help with this big transition I’m in?” Daniel couldn’t believe how quickly the image had popped into his mind and how sure he felt that his mom—right here in broad daylight, in the middle of a condominium property—was communicating with him.
The wind came through again, covering Daniel’s entire body with chills.
“Okay, got it. I have a resource to help me with next steps. Thank you mom. You are seriously the best. I only wish I had realized I could have been communicating with you for the past 11 years. Better late than never though, right?”
Daniel quickly felt the breeze again, only this time it seemed to circle him, as though his mother was wrapping her arms around his body, hugging him.
# # #
Shelby wasn’t home more than a half hour when her doorbell rang. After five hours on a plane, she was less than thrilled. The only thing she wanted to do was meditate, take a sea salt bath, and go to bed. But, that, apparently was not in the cards.
“Kathryn? What are you doing here? You didn’t even call!” Shelby said as she opened the door to find Kathryn standing in front of her, a bottle of sparkling white in one hand and bridal magazines in the other.
“I figured that what you needed after five days with a man you clearly love…” Kathryn pointed her finger at Shelby as she walked in the door, “And don’t even bother arguing with me, I could feel the love energy emanating all the way from Maui. What you needed was some good girl time with me and Bride magazine,” Kathryn flopped down on the couch, dressed in her typical getup—workout gear of black leggings, a sports bra (today was purple), a white v-neck, three-quarter sleeve T-shirt and a purple (Kathryn was a huge fan of the color) sweatshirt.
“What, did you just get back from the gym? And now wine and bride stuff?” Shelby was having trouble hiding her irritation.
“Um, yeah, post-workout meal. I figured you would have some Maui chocolate and macadamias to go with this feast for rockstars. And don’t give me attitude; you know you’re dying to discuss how you’re doing your hair at my commitment ceremony, along with how excited you are to bring Daniel as your date.”
Shelby couldn’t help but crack a smile. She had picked up some macadamia nuts and chocolate for Kathryn, and while she hadn’t officially asked Daniel to the commitment ceremony, she planned to. And she really was dying to talk to Kathryn about her revelation that he felt like the guy for her, but that she didn’t even know what to do with that realization.
Grabbing the bag of chocolate nuts, along with two glasses, she joined Kathryn on the couch.
“Okay, you got me. But less about my hair and more about the fact that I’m totally head over heels for this guy. I want to move in with him and spend my life staring into his gorgeous blue eyes. What is wrong with me?” Shelby moaned as she instinctively opened the bag of chocolates, taking a handful and giving the bag to Kathryn.
“Now, that’s more like it Shelby!” she said playfully rubbing the top of Shelby’s head, mussing her hair. “You’re getting to the good stuff now. Trust me, I know about the love-induced freak-out. I had a big moment with Scott where I was like, “I can’t do this!” And found myself ogling some stupid waiter. When you meet the guy, it can bring up all sorts of stuff. But, that’s okay. You’ll work through it.”
“And how exactly do you s
uggest I do that? I almost found myself saying, ‘Hey, since your lease is coming up on your studio and I’m ready to quit my job to go for my dream, let’s merge our happy little solopreneur lives together.’ On the airplane ride home, I realized I was in big trouble. Sure, I always thought I would end up with one person for the rest of my life at some point, but it suddenly seems like that rest of my life person is coming to me fast. But, Daniel is too fantastic of a man for me not to consider a future with him.”
Kathryn sank back into the couch. “I get it girl. But know this, there is one man in this world that will make you want to believe in spending the rest of your life with one person. Besides, you can’t think of it like that—it’s too overwhelming. It’s choosing him every day.”
“How do you know you’re going to choose Scott every day? Because having a commitment ceremony, getting married, whatever it is that you’re doing, is saying, ‘Hey everyone—look at the person I’m going to spend forever with!’”
“Okay, first of all smarty pants,” Kathryn said as she poured them both a glass of wine. “We’re having a commitment ceremony, because we feel that the institution of marriage has too much negativity attached to it. It’s not the kind of energy that we want hanging over us or in our relationship dynamic. There’s all this charge around divorce, and the roles of ‘husband’ and ‘wife.’ We understand that when we come together in a relationship, our souls have a contract. It may last a lifetime and it may not. But either way, relationship is a sacred contract that we want to honor. So, instead, we’re creating a ritual of our own to commemorate our commitment to one another. Commitment is energetically a very powerful statement to make to yourself, one another, and the people you love most in the world—not to mention the Universe. And with a commitment ceremony, we are free to create it in the way we want, so that we don’t fall prey to carrying out the roles we saw our parents or other loved ones emulate. We can create a partnership that truly honors each other as individuals and as a couple.”