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Honeymoon
The newlyweds took an all-inclusive honeymoon at a tourist resort in Mexico, where they went down a zip line over the beach, and Brad learned of Elly’s fear of swimming. The bond they had made the moment they met deepened. Anything that could provoke marital conflict was a ripple on the surface of a deep love, which made Brad muse that they had known each other in a past life. He told her about his childhood dreams of a girl born in a faraway land, and how she might be the one that made the dreams come true. She loved it and thought it was romantic. She believed in reincarnation,…
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East Meets West: Brad and Elly get married
Elly’s parents and older brother arrived at San Francisco International Airport from Okayama, Japan to their daughter and sister get married. On their wedding day, Brad went up to their room at a nearby Marriott, and Elly introduced them as Otosan and Okasan, which meant Father and Mother. They bowed politely and spoke in Japanese which Elly translated. Okasan was bent over, leaned on a cane with one arm, and gave Brad a kind smile. Otosan stood rigidly, eyes like coals burning through thick black framed glasses, supporting his wife by her other arm. They were slightly shorter than Elly’s 5’ 3” and almost as petite. The brother shook Brad’s…
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A match made on Earth
Brad complained to a female colleague at work that he had recently divorced. “She took it all, I couldn’t even pay the rent!” he said. It was stupid to mix his personal problems with work, but his co-worker gave him a big hug in their white coats and told him to hang in there. He almost asked her out but the old rule don’t get your honey where you make your money saved him. The following week she gave him a newspaper ad for a matchmaking service. “Don’t take any more chances. Let the pros find you the right,” she said. Her voice had a musical ring to it, and…