Divergence

Today I need to talk about two women:  my daughter and her friend.  Names have been changed to protect and ensure privacy.
My daughter- let's call her Rachel- met this friend, who I'll call Melissa, in their first year of college.  They looked kinda the same:  tall gals with long hair and constant smiles.  They both enjoyed the same kinds of college activities:  going out dancing, goofing off with their guy friends, and maybe keeping their grades up.  They met each others' friends from home.  They brought each other home to hang with family.
Then they both graduated, started working, and got their Masters' degrees.  They were so busy after college but they tried to catch up from time to time.  Summers were easier so there were beach and pool and Karaoke bar meetups.  But still not very often.
They both work in fields where they probably won't become millionaires but they will change the lives of young people for the better.  Overworked and stressed-out but fulfilled.  And still not a lot of free time for each other.
Until one year when they both met "The One". 
(I'll refer to these folks as their "Significant Others".  Actually I'll just shorten it to SO for brevity.)

Suddenly they were in each others' lives with more frequency again! 
There were celebrations and showers to attend and colors to pick.   Old friends were reconnected and new friends were introduced.  They helped each other out with planning, and complaining, and calming frayed nerves.
They both made the commitment with their SO's to adopt a pet together.  Melissa and her SO got a little pup named Harry who could melt your heart with his enormous ears. 
Rachel and her SO got a big oaf named Frank who could knock you over with his enormous everything. 
They both stood on the beach and witnessed each others' weddings.  They made the same vow to love and respect and be faithful to their SO's.  They drank and danced and started their married lives.
Melissa and her SO bought a house.  Rachel and her SO are still looking.
They all go to their jobs and walk their dogs and water their plants and pay taxes.  They post pictures on Facebook of trips taken, of meals cooked, of sporting events cheered at. 
Soon it will be the holidays and I'm sure there will be plenty of "Our First Thanksgiving/Christmas" posts for me to enjoy.  Maybe we'll all get together on New Year's Day for the Penguin Plunge!

And then we come to a fork in the road.

Rachel and her husband Victor will be looking forward to their first anniversary.
Melissa and her wife Sandy will be wondering how long before their marriage is invalidated.