Virgo Sun Pisces Moon

Babe…. how much longer do you want to be at your current job for?

I think I’ll keep working there… until the Courthouse.

Until September this year?:

(Nodding)… I’ll probably give notice… two weeks before the Courthouse? Or a few weeks before? Something like that?

Actually I thought you would say until the circus in 2027. I thought you would be like “Oh, after the Courthouse I just wanna go casual… just 12 hours a week or something like that until the circus, or until after I finish the uni degree…”

(Smiles) It does sound like something I might say… but realistically — After the Courthouse, once I start moving my things over… I just think I’ll be too busy. And you are dependable, aren’t you? Hunny Bunny? (Smiles)

(VERY HAPPILY GRINNING) Yes, yes I am! You can depend on me!!! (Scoops her up for some snuggles!)

…

Yeah, so I think that I won’t change my current hours yet… I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing with work and class… until the Courthouse. Once we’ve signed the papers — of course, I’m yours. Even legally yours. Obligatorily yours. You’ve got me… even my parents can say, “Whatever, she’s YOUR PROBLEM now! Mwahahahahahahaha~~~”

(Chuckles)

But I think — outwardly, we’ll probably just talk about ourselves as if we’re engaged… not to the public, just other acquaintances, friends and family… we’ll talk about the circus as the main goal. They don’t need to know that we already “got married” at the Courthouse. We’ll still work towards getting the circus organised… so yeah, it’s like we’ll be legally married but — outward narrative is engagement.

Okay… (shrugs shoulders)

Yeah it doesn’t really affect you that much, you’re still working! Work, work, work…

Yeah but I’m also wondering how we’re going to have time to date before the Courthouse if you’re also still working and studying…

We’ll be able to squeeze it in… when you’re actually here… initially I won’t take any days off but if you actually let me know some dates of when you’re actually here — I’d be happy to take some annual leave.

You would? (Smiles)

(Nodding) Yeah — like if you’re here more after we have initially re-connected… say I need a long weekend, here or there — I do need to give them notice. But I could take that time off as annual or even unpaid leave. I can do that. I don’t want to skip classes, though. Cybersecurity is my new “career” — current work is just work. It’s a temporary job. It’s not my career path. But Cybersecurity will be a new career path. Does that make sense?

(Nodding)

So… I don’t want to skip classes for you. But I am willing to take some annual or unpaid leave days for you when you’re really here. (Smiles)

I think that… it’s gonna be really quick… like once we’ve reconnected again I’m just going to give you the keys to my apartment and you can go there any time — even if I’m not there.

(Nodding) (Shrugs shoulders) That’s okay… I guess? I can’t think of any reasons that I’d be there when you’re not there, though?

You need to be there to decorate it. Make it homely. Prepare for our lives together from the date of the Courthouse.

Oh, is that so? I thought you were hiring an interior designer?

Yes — I will do that. But you will finalise the finishing touches. The interior designer won’t do that much. It’ll be more like a display home. It won’t feel personal at all. When I get there, it’ll probably just feel like a hotel. I want you to add more “us” to the place — so each time I come back, I can see, “Oh — a framed photo of our date!” Some things like that. And the place is warmer, and warmer, and filled with sentimental items, or even things that you like, for whatever reason. And each time I come home, I can feel this place transforming into “our nest” —

(Smiles) Yeah… that’ll be nice. Okay but realistically I don’t have that much time. Sure, I can get a photo printed and framed, but — I’ll probably just end up messaging you about it at the same time, “Do you like this photo? Do you want this photo framed?”

(Chuckles) Yes and I’ll look forward to that when I’m on my breaks! It’ll be fun to have these conversations. I’ll look forward to it when I’m working.

Okay… well… My parents’ house is also taking up a lot of my time. When you’re not here — I’m still helping around my parents’ house with a lot of things…

Do you think your parents will sell their house before we get married at the Courthouse?

(Shaking head) Probably not… I don’t think they’ll realistically consider selling it until… after our circus in 2027? If at all — I still don’t know… (Don’t want any real estate agents to read my blog and start hassling me about estate sales!)

So even after the Courthouse, you’ll spend some time at your parents’ house when I’m away…

Probably? It depends. Maybe not as much when I have classes. But if I’m on semester breaks from class schedules and you’re still on tour anyway — yeah, probably? It seems plausible… maybe just helping with some stuff for my parents… maybe we do need to de-clutter, not only small items, but also get rid of some of the larger pieces of furniture. That takes time. I don’t think we’ll sell it on Facebook marketplace or anything like that, but I do need to organise movers to come move and maybe even a truck to get it to the op shop — donate to RSPCA op shops, maybe….

You always donate furniture and items to RSPCA?

Usually — if not them, then Salvation Army. It’s usually either of those two charities. Sometimes Lifeline Australia as well, it depends…

So if you’re helping to organise selling big furniture… what does this mean for your parents?

What do you mean?

Like — are they still staying at the house? Or are they mostly in Taiwan?

Probably a bit of both? There’s still furniture from even my brother’s childhood room. There’s still… a lot of clutter… I know it’s hard to imagine but my mother’s a bit of a hoarder… she might even feel like asking me to help her “hoard” some stuff by moving it to your place?! If I’m going to start living there…

(Chuckles) That’s okay, I’ve got a lot of storage space. What kind of things does she hoard?!

(Shaking head)… I don’t really want to list everything on a public blog… It’s just her… habits… She likes to buy… she likes to hoard… It’s not as bad as the show “Hoarders” — that’s definitely a whole other extreme. But she likes to buy things when they’re on sale and feel “prepared” — “just in case” — we might need those things one day. She likes to hoard a lot of sale items. Things, when bought on sale, and in her logic, “What if you suddenly need it one day and you don’t have time to go get it, or it’s too expensive and not on sale and it’s here! You can just get it from this cupboard!”

Oh okay, so you have a lot of these “cupboards” around the house?

Not a lot. I wouldn’t say a lot… but there are clutter zones… yes…

Well, I don’t mind if — at some points in time — your parents even temporarily moves in with us. Say if they’re really selling the house and the house needs to be fully emptied for sale. They need a place to stay. They can stay with us.

Wow this is really so far into the future… I guess it would be a future where — sadly — doggy has passed away… and yeah, maybe… I don’t know if they would really take you up on that offer… It’s a nice offer. It’ll be appreciated that you even offered. But realistically — well, I’m not sure, actually. We’d only know from conversations in real life what’s really happening. But it’s also not impossible that they might decide to get their own temporary apartment and just sell the house whilst staying there. I don’t know, really. I don’t now what they’ll decide by then. Or they might just buy a new, smaller house, and then sell the big house from there.

So do you mean after the circus in 2027 — your parents might just buy a secondary home, a smaller house for themselves to live in?

(Nodding) It’s quite likely… and it might be easier to just move into that home first, and then sell the big house…

Oh… most people don’t do it that way?

(Chuckles) Yeah, I know… but I also don’t know — if that’s how they’re really going to go about it. I just have a feeling… they won’t want to enter “your” space — they’ll feel like, “Nah… we don’t need to stay with you two… it’s okay, we’ll just get a smaller house first. Move the rest of the stuff from the big house — anything else that we’re actually going to keep — into the newer, smaller house. And then we sell the big house, fully emptied.” It’ll probably go up for auction, actually. My Dad usually likes auctions. Just get rid of it — when he’s ready to get rid of it. I’ll be an auction, nice and quick.

I think some real estate agents might be reading this and salivating…

I know, right?! But it might not even be in 2027. It could be 2028? 2029? Who knows?!?! This is a fictional blog!!!

Do you think they’ll want a house close to our apartment? A newer, smaller one?

(Shaking head) I don’t think that will matter as much… I don’t know where they’ll want to go, but it’ll be something more suitable as a retirement home… I don’t think they’ll want to “encroach” on “our space” — Plus, I don’t know what else my brother and sister-in-law are planning. We do get to “share the load” with them, you know?

(Chuckles) Oh yeah, I forgot about them…

Yeah. So… it’ll be alright, whatever happens… it won’t all happen at once, anyway. It’ll just make sense as it unfolds… step by step… I don’t think it even affects you?! You’re working — overseas. It’s mostly me, I’m juggling everything.

Yeah but you’ll be telling me all about it on the phone. You’ll tell me everyday, what’s the progress? What’s happening? What have your parents decided or talked about today? It’ll be a lot of back and forth in the decision making, and umm’ing and ahh’ing — what should we do about this?

Yeah… true… we’ll have a few conversations like that. I don’t think that I want to bother you with too much of it. They’re my parents, not yours…

Yes they are!!! Once we’re married, they’re MY parents, too!!! And then my parents are yours as well — I haven’t even begun to reveal to you what HEADACHES you’re going to have to help me deal with…!!!!

OH… okay…?!?! (Shrugs shoulders)… I guess you’ll tell me more in real life when we’re dating?

(Nodding) — Actually I don’t want to tell you until after we’re married… at the Courthouse… or maybe even the circus. Maybe I won’t bother you with any of those details until after the circus… I don’t want to scare you away. Even after the courthouse.

What do you MEAN?!!??!! Shouldn’t I know EVERYTHING before the courthouse, not just the circus?

No, not really… courthouse is still more of an engagement. I don’t want to bombard you with all of “MY” side of the family’s problems… I’ll just keep it to myself, most of the time… Okay, maybe I’ll reveal some small things, but you’re already telling me about your parents’ things and I just… I don’t need you to carry that load for me immediately with my parents’ side of things… Yes, by the circus — 2027 — it’ll probably be more balanced, more equal. But initially… nah, you don’t need to worry about any of it.

Okay. Well, I suppose I’ll feel more settled once my parents are “more settled” — into that next chapter, for them, as well… because right now they’re still relatively healthy. They’re still relatively active — especially compared to people their age. — Mum is gradually declining… her health is… she’s more susceptible to health issues than Dad… but overall… we’ve still got time… (fingers crossed!!!)… but yeah, once they settle into that next chapter… Actually, it never stops.

What never stops?

Being a wife, a daughter-in-law — it’ll never stop. I’ll never stop worrying for my parents, for your parents — that’s a real “load” for me to be carrying in the marriage. For you, for us — for both sides of the family. People think, “Oh yeah, marry a rich husband!” But that rich husband has his own parents, too. And my parents. It never stops when you’re a daughter. You don’t just stop worrying about your parents just because you’re married. Or you don’t just stop worrying about your parents to then go only worrying about your husband’s parents — it’ll be both. I’ll just be a worry wort — for both. And then when we have kids? MORE WORRYING! Parents’ worries and kids’ worries — As a wife, as a mother, as a daughter and daughter-in-law… I’m carrying ALL of that — while you’re out there, making money…!

(Smiles) You won’t be “alone” in any of it. I have my loads — emotionally — to carry as a son-in-law too. I’m not going to just try to throw money at any situation and hope that it solves it. I know that it won’t. I know that there’ll be other emotional things… that we’ll talk about. It’s life. It’s real life. We’ll be a normal couple in real life that talks about all these sorts of things… it’s actually really boring for a blog, two millennials worrying about their parents. It’s not even entertaining stories.

(Nodding) Yeah… we’ll be really, really boring… Just a boring millennial couple doing boring millennial couple things…

(Smiles) Oh… I’M SOOOO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Smiles) xoxoxoxooxoxoxxooxxx

…

There’s just one more thing…

What is it, My Love?

My piano…

Your piano?

Yes… it’s brown… it’s Yamaha… it’s not a grand piano. It’s just a normal piano… Actually, a “console” piano… It’s still kept in relatively good condition… I just… I don’t want to get rid of it… but…

You can bring the piano to my apartment.

But — will you have space? If it’s only us two, I don’t think it’s that big of an apartment? Wouldn’t you already have your own Baby Grand?

Just bring the piano to MY apartment. I can easily have an extra piano.

Are you sure?!

(Nodding) Yes… another piano! That’s totally fine.

But like, if you already have your own Baby Grand — what am I gonna do with my Yamaha?! I’m not even going to play it. Baby Grand will feel so new and shiny…

I’LL play on your Yamaha.

You will?! Why?! How?!

Because it’s YOUR piano — I’d love to play on your piano… (devilish grin)

Noooo it was my CHILDHOOD piano — please don’t do the devilish grin with that piano!

(Laughing) Okay. (Respectfully) I’ll be happy to play on your piano. We’ll keep it at the apartment until we buy a bigger house, then it’ll just go in the music room of the bigger house.

You think so?

I know so. It’s really not that big a deal, it’s just another piano. Some music rooms have three or even four pianos. I’ll probably need to go buy another one or two other pianos anyway. It’s fine. You’ve got a brown Yamaha. That’s cool. I’ll definitely play it and keep that piano alive.

(Smiles) Really…? (Hands on heart)

Wow, you’re really sentimental about that piano?

(Nodding) (Tearing up a little)… Yeah… it’s my childhood…

Aww… (hugs) (forehead kisses)… I’m not going to let anything bad happen to that piano. If my bros come hang out in the music room, they’re not allowed to eat or drink near that piano. Nobody is allowed to scratch it. If we have pets — they’re not allowed in the music room. That piano will be taken care of like it’s another child of ours. It’s our baby. We’ll have at least two babies — the Baby Grand and the Brown Yamaha. At least those will be our children if we don’t have real ones…

(Chuckles) I don’t know if we need those metaphors about them being our children but yes, no bros eating or drinking near that piano would be greatly appreciated. No pets scratching it either. Yes, thank you.

(Smiles)

Love you.

Love you too… xoxoxoxox