In high school I was in an all-consuming relationship with one thing: dance. Any free time I had was spent on working towards a coveted spot at a performance company.<\/p>\n
As soon as I graduated school in Brisbane, I left to begin my career as a performer.<\/p>\n
After moving around the world for work, I landed my dream job as an assistant creative director at Cirque du Soleil in 2019. But as I was settling into my new life in Los Angeles, the pandemic shut everything down. I was let go from a job I had worked my entire life towards.<\/p>\n
I was an unemployed circus person and he was a guy who worked in finance. What on earth were we going to have in common?<\/p>\n
When I moved back to my parents\u2019 place in Noosa, I felt lost for the first time in my life.<\/p>\n
Surfing the dating apps helped break up the monotony of my days. I connected with a couple of guys but nothing eventuated. Until a familiar face popped up on my screen: Tom from high school. He had caught my eye back then, and his profile pictures showed me he still had it. But we had been in different social circles and had rarely crossed paths.<\/p>\n
We matched on the app and he sent the first message. I told him he looked familiar and we exchanged some small talk.<\/p>\n
Ash and Tom\u2019s first football game together in October 2020<\/p>\n
The first time he asked me out I declined as I was set on leaving Australia as soon as everything reopened. The second and third times, I cancelled at the last minute. I was an unemployed circus person and he was a guy who worked in finance. What on earth were we going to have in common?<\/p>\n
By the fourth time, I surprised us both by agreeing, realising I didn\u2019t have anything to lose and the pandemic was going to last much longer than three weeks.<\/p>\n
We planned to meet at his house and he ordered an Uber to pick me up. I waited outside looking like a total dag with wet hair and baggy clothes. My low expectations for the date meant I didn\u2019t put in too much effort.<\/p>\n
When the Uber arrived, I was startled when he opened the door for me as I wasn\u2019t expecting him to be inside. When he held my hand to help me into the car, I knew I had made a grave mistake by cancelling all the other dates. His looks were obvious, but his politeness struck me.<\/p>\n
I had a bit of life under my belt before I met Tom, so I was surprised that men like him still existed. The simple act made me realise there were people worth slowing down for.<\/p>\n
It also helped that we got along. Although we had taken different life paths, we were both very driven \u2013 not only in our respective fields but also in striving to be the best versions of ourselves. This understanding made it feel as though we had known each other forever \u2013 which was somewhat true.<\/p>\n
I ended the first date early as I thought I had blown it and was embarrassed with the careless outfit I\u2019d worn. But thankfully, after 24 hours of painful silence, he messaged to ask if I wanted to try again. After that, our relationship was like a fire \u2013 it was wild and moved very fast. He drove up from Brisbane every weekend to visit me in Noosa. I counted down the days until we would be together again.<\/p>\n
The time we spent together opened my eyes to a life and love outside of work. I wanted to grasp hold of it with both hands. We moved in together a few months after that less-than-ideal first date.<\/p>\n
A short time later I got a call from Cirque asking me back. I was also pregnant with our first child. I happily declined and for the first time I didn\u2019t feel left out for not touring.<\/p>\n
Ash, Tom and their children in Fiji this year. Photograph: Ash McCready<\/p>\n
I loved my new life as a soon-to-be mother, but that didn\u2019t stop me from creating, especially with Tom\u2019s encouragement and support. When I was 36 weeks pregnant with our first child he helped me produce my own show called Cirque Bon Bon. In the days after giving birth to my second child via an emergency caesarean section, Tom pushed me around the theatre in a wheelchair, helping me with the final touches for opening night.<\/p>\n
First loves are incomparable and mine has always been dance. I didn\u2019t think I could feel this type of love anywhere else, until Tom and my family came along. Now I create for an audience of not just thousands but for three.<\/p>\n
Tell us the moment you knew<\/p>\n
Share your experience<\/p>\n
Share your love story<\/p>\n
Do you have a romantic realisation you’d like to share? From quiet domestic scenes to dramatic revelations, Guardian Australia wants to hear about the moment you knew you were in love<\/p>\n
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