- Hmm, this is a good one. (chuckles)
This is a good one.
- That means it's a bad one.
(laughs) - No, it's not.
- If you could go back to the first time we met,
what advice would you give yourself regarding
being in a relationship with me?
(paper flips) And I can answer that
because you already had other
entanglements
- Wow. - when we first met.
- Wow.
- So. - Wow.
(chuckles)
- [Marquis] Wow. (laughs) (Kelli faintly speaking)
- [Kelli] Yeah. (Marquis laughing)
- I would say,
I still don't think I was ready back then.
- Hmm.
- You are a whole different person as well.
That's a long time. - Yeah.
- I just think we still would have,
maybe we would have fizzled out in the wrong way.
- Yeah. - Well not fizzled,
maybe we would have exploded.
- Hmm.
- 'Cause we were just two different people.
- Yeah. - Maybe an argument goes left.
And
me from back then and you from back then,
butting heads.
It just wouldn't have been good.
I think I still would've told myself, just wait.
Get yourself right first
- Hmm.
- and take that chance.
If I take a chance and it doesn't work,
or you find somebody else - Yeah.
or I find somebody else then...
It happens.
But I think I would have told my younger self,
just wait a second.
Get yourself together.
Get your head on straight.
Give it some time.
- Hmm.
(gulps, inhales)
What are your three favorite memories we share?
(giggles, inhales)
- Our picnic whether we don't want it.
(both laughs)
Oh, our picnic was was great.
(tongue clicks)
And so many good ones.
I guess I have to say - Oh, that's it then?
- like when we cook together.
I'll say that.
- When we cook together.
All right. - Mm-hmm.
- So what's your favorite thing that we cook together?
- I'd say mac and cheese.
- That first time we did a Wiscon',
it was magical. - Mm-hmm.
- It was...
I don't know.
I'm not a chef, but I was close to that day.
- Yeah, you did great.
(inhales)
It's a long one.
(tongue clicks)
Hmm.
How do our different upbringings affect our relationship
and why do you think that is?
- Well you were raised,
neither of us were raised (laughs)
in a traditional household. (chuckles)
(sighs)
You were raised by your aunt and your uncle.
- Mm-hmm.
- I was raised by my mother.
- Mm-hmm. - Well,
I was raised by
three parents - Right.
Yeah. - but, my dad and my step-mom
lived
miles away. - Mm-hmm.
- So-
- I think that (chuckles)
- What you got?
- you are so patient in even
in my,
how do I explain it?
Like when I'm upset or the yelling or the.. (inhales)
When the conflict do arise, you just, you're calm.
- Well, why do you think - And I'm the one.
- that is? (laughs)
Because I guess you're just used to it.
- You have a different kind of patience.
You have patience for certain things.
- Mm-hmm. - You've been around kids
(chuckles) probably your whole time
in that house. - Mm-hmm.
- So you have patience
with children that I don't have anymore.
(both laughing)
I just don't have it anymore.
And then of course you work in education.
Oh. So,
when you around the kids, you have that patience.
- Yeah. - You have that understanding.
I'll respond and be like, yeah, I don't....
I just wouldn't say anything back to,
I don't know what I would say.
(laughs) And you'd be like,
"No, you can't do that. You have to say something."
- Right.
Sometimes, on more days, more than others, but...
- See, - Yeah.
- it's a different kind of patience.
- Yeah.
- It's my one? Yep.
- Mm-hmm. (paper flips)
(tongue clicks, sighs)
We had this one before. - What was that?
- Oh, really?
(laughs)
- When was the last time you thought about
ending this relationship and why didn't you?
(chuckles)
- I haven't had that thought.
- Never?
- Never. - Not once?
- Seriously, not once.
- That's it? - And you know
when I get upset, I'll be like, I'll get my stuff.
And you know.
- You've done that.
- I ain't...
- You've gotten your stuff. - You only got to
tell me once.
- I don't tell you anything. - You don't have to tell me.
(chuckles) - That's the funny part.
- I'll take myself out of the equation, but no.
I don't think anything has happened
to where I'll be like, dang, I can't be with him.
I would think that you would feel that more
because
of my attitude.
- Yeah, that first argument, - The way I flare-
- it was kinda...
- Yeah. That was a bad one.
- I don't wanna say it was bad,
but I think the way it wasn't resolved,
- Hmm.
I guess it goes back to a previous question
when we talk about how we resolve conflict.
- Yeah.
- I was like, ooh, if this is going to be how it's done,
I don't know - It's not gonna work.
- if that could work.
- Yeah.
What are you hesitant to talk to me about?
(soft bell clangs)
- Man, if you would've asked a few days ago,
this would have been rough, right?
- Hmm.
- What am I hesitant to talk to you about?
I would say,
before this week,
there was always a feeling of,
and I guess it's still there faintly,
you could leave at any second.
(tongue clicks)
And of course, anybody could leave
anything at any second, - Hmm.
- but there was a,
there was always this feeling over my shoulder of
everything's going right
and it could just go wrong at any second.
For whatever reason, something I did,
something
you did,
something you want, something that I don't want,
whatever. - Mm-hmm.
- And that's a terrifying feeling.
When you've been bonding with somebody in this way
for eight months straight, - Yeah. Yeah.
- just me and you kicking it.
- Right. - Wearing our masks.
(both laughing)
Being as safe as possible with everything.
- Mm-hmm.
- And everything's clicking,
it's moving.
Sometimes, it's too fast. Sometimes, it's too slow.
- Yeah.
The- I think it's a good place now.
- Yeah. Things are slowly starting to open up in the world.
So we're able to be - Yeah.
- a little more free.
But,
if anything, that's kind of scarier.
Maybe we got this close (inhales)
just because it was me and you.
- Mm-hmm. Don't say that, babe.
- I know, I know.
That's the small
in the back of my head that's what I think, sometimes.
- My last card, are you ready?
- Uh-uh.
- No? (laughs)
(inhales, sighs)
(tongue clicks)
Aww, this is gonna make me cry. (chuckles)
Why do you love me?
(both laughing)
I love you because you put up (laughs)
with my mess. (chuckles)
- It's really not that bad. - Honestly, we have a lot
going on sometimes.
On more days than other.
(chuckles)
- I love you because you're genuine.
There's never a second that I feel
like you're not being yourself.
- Hmm.
I love, (both laughs)
I love that laugh. (laughs)
So I can say my corny jokes, so you can laugh at me.
Your heart is just so big.
You put so much love and thought into everything you do.
Everything that you're doing
at the moment, you love it.
And that's something I love so much. I adore it.
And I think you've probably
been the best friend I've ever had,
in the way and the way you support me.
In the way you just listen.
Even though I'm talking about stuff that
(laughs) makes no sense to you.
(exhales)
- You make my heart so happy. (laughs)
I love you because of the way you support me
and
your levelheadedness.
Is that a word? - It's close enough.
(laughs)
- Mr. English Degree.
We've had this conversation.
The way you look at the whole picture and I look at
my intermediate or those small...
You kind of
bring
some sanity.
That's why I love you.
You just make my heart happy. (chuckles)
- I try my best every day.
- I feel secure
and appreciated.
That's gotta be hard for you to get away from me.
- Hm?
- It's gonna be hard for you to get away from me.
Well, not easily.
So,
yeah.
- And I'm not trying. (laughs)
This was good.
- It was.
- Hey, beautiful people.
Thank you so much for being here.
Thank you so much for watching.
I'm Nick from "The Skin Deep"
and I just wanted to let you know that we've taken
some of our most powerful questions from these sessions
and put them into THE END card game.
So, if you want to have more meaningful conversations,
if you want to have deeper conversations
in your life with the people you love,
go to shop.theskindeep.com and check them out.
Otherwise, thank you so much for being here.
We love you.