Cheers!

One of my colleagues at student-teaching placement told me he'd heard of an available substitute position at the very end of the school year. (Someone's expecting a baby!) The department head was concerned about how they would find someone who was qualified to teach (i.e. certified- with my future degree) for that portion of the year. So ... I emailed him, telling him how I'd heard of the opening and asking how I might apply. *crosses fingers* Possible job opportunity #1.

[There was about 20 minutes in which I did not write because I received a phone call from BestFriend. She said,

"Estrella, I need you to see you right now."

I asked her, "What's wrong? Do you need to come and talk? I'm on duty for RAFriend and can't leave the building."

"I'm at the bottom of your building. Please come down right now."

The elevator seemed to take longer than usual to arrive. I thought for sure that she had terrible news. Something had happened.

When I got down there, I saw her and her boyfriend, and she was holding a long box. She cried out,

"I'M ENGAGED!" She thrust out her hand to show me her beautiful, sparkling ring and opened the box, revealing the lovely long-stemmed roses inside!

BESTFRIEND is ENGAGED! We became close the fall of our sophomore year when she lived next door to me. We used to bang on our shared wall to announce our visits to one another. We stayed up late nights, talking about boys and our own first relationships (which had begun our freshman year and ended the summer before sophomore year). We talked about what we wanted in future relationships. And our faiths. And our families. And our hopes, wishes, dreams. While I had had other very close friends, she was really my first BestFriend. She told me the day after she encountered her [now] fiance's blog. She handed me the printout of their first IM conversation a week and a half later, the very night they'd talked for the first time. I was in her room when he first called her. I've listened to her talk about their relationship-- the wonderful things he did and the small issues which made her ask, "Should I break up with him?" (I'd never give her a clear opinion either way, but I'd always hint that he was really a fantastic guy and that her complaints, while important because they mattered to her, were not necessarily factors I'd consider as cause for terminating a relationship.) I spent time with the two of them on his first trip to CoolCity. I took the first picture of the two of them as a couple.

And now they're engaged! Godwilling, she'll be married this upcoming summer! BestFriend! Now a future bride! (Is it ironic that I'm now listening to Disney's Cinderella's "So This is Love" ?) *Sigh* I'm so happy for her that I can't stop beaming! So happy!!!!! (And not just because I'm going to be a bridesmaid!!!) BestFriend is going to be married!!!!!