Irish 6/6: Sarnia is Home. ISRC-CB-GWT-26-00310

[Female] Before I left for Montreal, I asked an old friend to watch over him. We called her the Accountant— Elegant, pretty, with a practical grin. She counted every dollar before every dream; We were more like rivals than friends. I trusted my love would keep his heart, But life had surprises around every bend. They found a game they both could play, Go chess across a quiet board. Weekend dinners, familiar thoughts, A friendship neither had planned before. The chairman's wife said, "Watch your heart; You may not see what lies ahead." I held on to the love we'd started, And trusted the words we hadn't said. [Male] February came; the interview dawned. I wore her blazer, the Accountant's tie. With prayers from both women behind me, I faced the panel and gave it a try. They offered me more than I'd dreamed of earning— A future in oil and gas. It was Valentine's week, so I changed my flight And hurried to Montreal at last. [Duet] Valentine, Valentine, love found a way, Across all the miles, through the cold winter day. She fell in my arms with tears of delight; We held one another beneath the city lights. No promises rushed, no boundaries crossed— My first love was worth all the miles we had crossed. [Male] We spent the weekend together, Then I returned to the life I had known. The Accountant was angry I'd gone to see her; She'd thought our friendship had grown. We argued; I walked into the snow, Then turned back, ashamed of my part. We shared some chocolate beneath the cold sky, Two lonely friends with a hurt in the heart. Houston was calling; my thesis was waiting. I worked through the night to finish on time. The Accountant stayed near when I needed help, While I sent Montreal assurances in rhyme. Then she fell ill, and I stayed by her bedside; She confessed what she'd tried to conceal. For a moment, two women loved the same man— But my first love was still what I felt. She asked me to come back to Montreal When the job offer finally came through. She said I could stay with her, just the two of us— Then sent me a textbook on human sexuality, too! I laughed at the joke, still the innocent man, Unsure what her teasing might mean. Then came the news that she was American: Marriage could open a road to the green. [Duet] Male: My pride and my ego stood in the way, But we spent a week in old Quebec. We danced on the cobblestones under the lights, With a world of hope and a future to check.

• #alongyiproduction