I Love You (Across Times)
On Monday, June 2, 2025, Ryan, Luke, and Josh stood up at the end of Shana’s funeral. Luke was in the middle with his guitar, Ryan was to his right with his guitar, and Josh was on his left with a harmonica. They began performing Warren Zevon’s Keep Me In Your Heart. I hadn’t told anyone that I was coming home, and I walked into the funeral home two minutes after the service started so I could slip in without being noticed.
At the end of the song, the pastor said a few words and a closing prayer, and the service ended. Everyone began to disperse, and I walked up to Mom. When she saw me, she jumped in surprise and hugged me. We exchanged condolences, and then more people started to come up to me.
After the funeral, there was a reception at my parents' house. My grandpa, Pop-pop, had started dating a woman named Sara back in 2022 or so, and this was the first time I was meeting her.
“So,” she asked after I had talked to her about my time in Japan, “what are your plans now?”
“Ha,” I replied, “I don’t really know. I just kinda decided to move back home on a whim after I found out about Shana.”
“Well, that’s okay,” she replied, “you just got home. You have time to figure it out!”
Over the next year, a few things happened. I started working at Kobolt about a month after I got home, while I tried to figure out what I was gonna do next. After I posted an installment about my surprise return and Shana’s funeral, a classmate of mine, Elana, reconnected with me at Sam’s Fans event in October, in an attempt to lean on me after her sister, Natalie, passed away in March.
For Thanksgiving, I went to Cincinnati and reunited with the Andersons. Around Valentine's Day 2026, Greg was in town, and we went out to dinner. At the end of February, I saw Box Seats for the first time, and Cousin Simple played a show in Dayton. Elana and her younger sister Jenna went to the Dayton show with us. After Cousin Simple played, Ryan walked up to us. Elana told him she enjoyed the show and asked when their next show in Columbus was.
“Well, actually,” Ryan said, looking at me, “we are having a memorial show at my dad’s studio for my aunt on the anniversary of her death!”
I was surprised, as this was the first time I had heard of it. On Friday, May 15th, 2026, at 8:00 pm, Cousin Simple got up on stage. I stood at the front of the crowd as the music started. During that first song, Mom came running up to me, dragging someone behind her. She practically threw the person at me, and to my shock, it was that girl from the ugly sweater party, Paige.
I hadn't thought about her at all since I got on the plane to Japan. We started to talk, and the fleeting crush I had on her that night reemerged. At that moment, I knew that she was the one.
Back in this timeline, I walked out of Dad’s office and back into Paige and my wedding reception. Paige was in the middle of the dance floor. When we locked eyes all of our guests and the room faded around us. As I walked toward her, I felt butterflies in my stomach, and I smiled. I felt it in my soul; no matter what decisions I had, or would have made throughout my life, it would not have mattered. I believe that no matter what, I would have ended up married to Paige Ulibarri.
Have a Greattastic day and be safe!
J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT
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