Falling in Love Part Two

Falling in Love Part Two

At the end of the Phantoms first season in 2001, our offices moved to the SkyDome where I would take on a dual role for both the Phantoms and the Toronto Blue Jays. At this point in Bailey’s life he was already accustomed to change. We had traveled, lived and worked in so many different places that change was actually part of our routine.

The SkyDome gave Bailey more places to go and more people to interact with on a daily basis. I have so many memories of my time at the Blue Jays but there is one that stands out above all the others—falling in love for the second time.

On one day in 2002, Bailey was sleeping below my desk while I worked at my computer. Outside my office I could hear a girl’s voice. Melinn Chaban was new to the Blue Jays and was being introduced to the other employees around the company. While I would like to believe that I was cool and nonchalant for our first meeting, my assistant Jacey tells the story much differently. To this day, I am reminded by Jacey of the look on my face and in my eyes the first time I met Melinn. Melinn was beautiful and bubbly and she dressed in a manner that was professional yet sexy.

I would love to write that Melinn and I immediately started dating and the rest was history but that would not be the truth. This one required a pursuit. However, despite my personal pursuit of Melinn, Bailey had a much easier time than I did. Bailey loved Melinn from the moment he met her and the feeling was mutual. The sound of Melinn’s voice always made Bailey wag his tail—and when Melinn laughed Bailey would get excited as if the two of them were sharing some sort of joke that was just between them.

In the months that followed our first meeting, Bailey and I would often take the intentional detour by Melinn’s desk. For both Bailey and I, seeing Melinn brightened our day and provided some promise of what might be in the future. However, getting Melinn to go on that first date was no easy task. She always seemed to be busy or sick or have some other reason for not taking that first step.

Through Bailey I learned the value of persistence. If Bailey wanted something he would not give up until he got it—or at least until he was physically pulled away. I remained persistent in my pursuit of Melinn stopping by her desk every day for months on end. Finally, Melinn and I went on our first date in December 2002, shortly after Bailey’s fifth birthday.

By April of 2003 Melinn, Bailey and I were living together. Our bed was one crowded place with Bailey relinquishing his position beside me to sleep at the end of the bed. The change in sleeping arrangements was no problem for Bailey. He loved Melinn so much that the joy of having her around outweighed the nuisance of moving to the end of the bed.

As I have written before, there were many people who staked claim to Bailey. But now, for the first time the phrase “our dog” replaced “my dog”. On the last day of September 2003, the phrase “our dog” would become permanent. It was on that day that Melinn accepted my proposal. Not too long after that, our family would continue to grow…