On Saturday, my mom came over to watch the kids so Sid and I could celebrate our anniversary with a date night. We started at the Millwood Brewing Company and enjoyed a beer in the cozy atmosphere. While sipping on our brews, we debated where to go for dinner. After our deliberation and out of all the restaurants in the area, we decided on a place we had never been before. Little did we know the mother of all consequences was about to unfold.

My wife at Millwood Brewing Company, the watering hole we went to prior to heading out to Craft & Gather on our sixth anniversary.

We selected a place called Craft & Gather. It is nestled away on Dishman-Mica Rd., near a defunct golf course. It is a little out of the way, on the smaller side, and not necessarily a place I would expect to see anyone I know. The latter held true for me. But for Sid? That’s a different story.

Upon entering the restaurant, we spoke to the hostess about seating preferences. Because we were focused on answering her questions about the number of people in our party (just 2) and whether we opposed sitting in the bar area (of course not), we didn’t pay too much attention to the large table within eyeshot of the lobby area.

I snapped this photo of Craft & Gather in the Spokane Valley on Saturday night. We had no idea the crazy coincidence that would transpire within these walls.

As the hostess led us to our table, a voice cried out.

“Sidney!”
“Oh my gosh!” my wife responded.

It may have taken a moment for Sid to rub her eyes and trust that they were registering reality before confirming who was standing in front of her. It was Sid’s high school friend, Casey, who took a full slate of AP classes with my wife. During school they developed a friendship and it even extended into young adulthood as Casey was invited to my wife’s baby shower for Sloan. After the shock of this crazy chance meeting subsided just a tad, Sidney asked the obvious question.

What are you doing here?

Casey was there for the baby shower of her sister, Lindsay. Wait, in Spokane for a baby shower? For her sister? That must mean that Lindsay, who was a year younger than Sid but shared the same lunch group of friends during high school, must have some connection to Spokane. Lindsay was at the table and entered the discussion to add this tidbit: She had lived in Spokane for the past five years!

Oh, and it gets better! The mom of Casey and Lindsay was at the table too. She was visiting from South Carolina with Casey and it just so happens that she is a dear friend of Sid’s mom. The two worked in the same school district and—just like Casey—was also extended an invitation to Sidney’s baby shower nearly six years ago.

There was so much excitement and many more questions to be asked, but we had to move to our table that the hostess had already set and abandoned. Throughout our anniversary dinner we talked about how insane it was that we had crossed paths with Casey, Lindsay, and her mom. A split-second decision to dine at Craft & Gather had resulted in such an incredible surprise. Speaking of surprises…

After we finished and paid our tab, Casey’s party was still at their table. This gave Sidney the opportunity to uncover one more coincidence. My wife asked Lindsay where at in Spokane she lived. She responded by saying that they lived right off a certain street in the Valley. Sidney answered by asking if it happened to be a certain neighborhood that my brother and sister-in-law live in. Lindsay said YES. After a couple more questions, we narrowed it down that Lindsay and her husband not only live in the same neighborhood as my brother and sister-in-law but on the same STREET.

Upon exiting the restaurant, Sid and Lindsay pledged to keep in touch, especially after Lindsay has her baby and might need an extra hand. As we drove home, we still couldn’t believe the good fortune and uncanny timing that graced us during the night.

As unlikely as it might seem, this was actually the second “east meets west” coincidence that has centered on Sidney and I. In a future blog post I might share that equally amazing tale as well. But for tonight’s blog post, I want to simply recognize the “right place, right time” scenario that transpired for us on Saturday. Don’t Blink.