Bridge over troubled waters

1| Soul Mate

Corey

They say that a soul mate can be a best friend. That it's not just for partners, it's for the ones you love no matter the enigma attached to the status of the relationship. Someone who is always there for you and that you know you can count on.

For me, I've had one soul mate my 25 years of life and she just so happens to be my best friend. We grew up together in Châteauguay, Quebec and we've been pretty inseparable for nearly 2 whole decades. Her dad was my goalie coach for most of my amateur life so I was around her a lot and she played a little too, up until we got into middle school. But then she got more into the socialite stuff like clubs and theatre and I was into hockey and that's about it. Even though her hockey stint was over she still came to almost every single one of my games no matter where I was and she was basically a part of my family and I was a part of hers. She spent summers at my house playing make believe with me and swimming in my pool. Then when we got older we would just sit in the movie room and watch all our favorite movies. She always stuck around no matter how annoyingly hard my life got. She dragged me out of my shell when I wanted to stay in and hide from the world. Never let me let life get the best of me either. Always made sure I was living and not just existing out here. She made sure that I had dreams and that she was a big part of it.

But even with how opposite we were on paper, she was meant for me and I was meant for her. No matter how much life changed around us she was always there for me and I was there for her. I'll never ever forget the way she made me feel when I was low or when I was high. I was my happiest when she was around, all my favorite memories have her there next to me and I wouldn't change it for the world. She always made it to my games and I always supported her in whatever crazy dream she's chasing after at the time. There was no limits for her. Whatever she had her heart set on is what she was she is was going to do, and I just wanted to be next to her when she did it.

But I got shipped out to Chicago/Rockford six years ago and she went to university. She ended up at the University of Montreal and spent four years there to get her degrees. She wanted to be a artist and make beautiful things with her hands and her mind. She could do pictures or painting or molds. She could make anything out of nothing and she had quite the eye for these kinds of things. And she gave me a beautiful life even when I probably didn't deserve it.

Part of me always hoped we would end up together, somehow, someway. We were like nothing anyone's seen before, as friends or as more than that. Our friends always said it would happen and our families put money on it happening, but for whatever reason it never did. I love her in ways I'm too afraid to admit to myself and part of me always has, but by the time I realized my feelings changed it was too late. I know that we are better off as friends, always have been. We're so good together because there's no pressure to be a couple, we can just be Bailey and Corey. I guess that's why her and I have never been and probably never will be. I never had the balls to tell her what I really thought of her and she never had the time to sit down and think about her feelings for me. Always worried about someone else being happy and never what's happening to her. But that's what made her, her. She had the biggest heart you've ever seen and she wore it on her sleeve. Sure it broke a few times but I was always there to get that smile back on her face.

And for a while we were apart so I didn't have my chance to show her just how much she means to me, I moved to Chicago in 2005 and she was still in school. Once she graduated in 2006 she moved back home for a while and got some experience under her belt. She joined a art agency that has her do paintings and take pictures and it pays pretty good. She was pretty happy but she wanted more.

Originally she wanted to come here to the states right after she graduated to continue her journey as a artist, but she knew that art there and art here isn't the same thing. What she had been studying isn't anything like what she would find around here. She knew that the scenes and inspiration here aren't the same ones we have in Canada, but she wanted to create in any way that only she knows in a new setting.

So she convinced the agency she worked for to let her come out to Chicago for a year and try it out. Of course I was estatic because this means the terrible two is at it again. I couldn't wait to have so much fun with her and show her around this place, she's gonna love it. It'll be just like the good old times. I just hope that we don't get ourselves into a situation we can't get out of.

I wait not so patiently at the airport for my dear Bailey to return to my arms right where she belongs. I haven't seen her in half a year but it feels like it's been forever. And I couldn't wait to see her again. My heart missed her like a wife waiting for her husband to return from war. No one made me weaker than Bai did, and she knew it. I didn't care what it took, just wanted her by my side again.

Finally I see that little halo that is always above her head and I smile to myself. Her bright blonde hair looking way too good to be getting off a plane first thing in the morning and that million dollar smile bright as ever as she looks for me. Her long legs moving fast trying to make her way to where I told her I would be waiting for her. I yell out her name and she turns her head around sharply causing her hair to fly. Her bright blue eyes meet my brown ones as she pops up in the crowd. She quickly weaves in and out of the mass of people who just got off her flight and runs right up to me. She jumps in my arms and I hold her close. We do a little spin before we come to a stop, but I don't let her go. I keep her right next to me as I close my eyes.

"I've missed you so much" I whisper into her hair. She smelled like flowers and plane peanuts.

"I've missed you too" she assures me.

I finally set her down and just grab her face. She starts to giggle as she looks up to me. "What are you doing" she wonders.

"Getting a good look at you" I explain. "I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you."

"It's not my fault you don't come home as much anymore" she accuses causing my body to stiffen.

I sink in my spot because a big reason I didn't want to come home recently was because of her. And not because of her, per say, but because she has a boyfriend she always hangs out with and seeing them together hurt me more than I would like to admit. I know it shouldn't make me upset, but it did. I wanted to be happy for her and I wanted her to be happy. But seeing them together made me absolutely sick. He didn't deserve her, I mean I didn't either but at least I know I can make her happy. I don't think he can.

"I know" I sigh. "It just gets so busy around here" I defend.

"Well I hope you didn't convince me to come out here then not spend time with me" she accuses.

"Of course not. For you I would make the time" I promise.

"Good. Now let's go find my luggage and get me moved in" she insists.

We walk to baggage claim and talk the entire time over. She tells me about her flight and how she sat next to a big blackhawks fan. She told him that she was my best friend and he didn't believe her until she showed him pictures of us growing up. Of course she made a friend on the way over and she was happy to be starting her journey here on a good foot.

Once we get her bags I get my car pulled around and I take her into the city. She sticks her head out the window as she gasps. That sparkle in those baby blue eyes looked like the stars as she doesn't miss a single building.

"Wow... this is incredible. I'm going to have such a great time running around here with you" she admits and I smile.

I turn my head from the road to her and just look at her as we get stopped in Chicago traffic. She'll have plenty of time to admire the city in this traffic. "Well I didn't convince you to come out here then not spend time with me" I tease like she did to me earlier.

She turns to me and gives me that "don't give me this shit" look and I smile. "I don't need this from you" she claims.

"You're moving into the apartment next to me... I think you should get used to it" I say.

"Good to see nothing has changed with you" she claims and I smile.

"Good to see you too."