MidReal Story
Stitched in Love
Scenario: a pair of lovers drop their jobs to open a tailoring business
Create my version of this story
It was the first step of our new beginning.
Two weeks before, Alex and I had quit our corporate jobs to open our own tailoring business.
We had been working at a fashion magazine for three years, and while I had loved my job when I started, I now felt like a hamster on a wheel—running in place, trapped in the same space.
When Alex joined the magazine six months later, I was already exhausted by the monotony of my routine.
And even though we were in a similar situation, he seemed to be doing just fine.
We met at the fashion magazine where we worked.
I was an editor and he was in charge of the photography.
We both shared an immense passion for design and craftsmanship, which was what had led us to our current predicament.
It was at a glamorous fashion party that we locked eyes for the first time.
I remember it like it was yesterday.
He asked me to dance and I said yes.
We spent hours moving to the rhythm of the music, constantly talking about our shared love for fashion and design.
It was love at first sight.
The following week, Alex took me to his favorite tailoring shop in town.
It was a beautiful store with wooden furniture and walls filled with fabric samples from all over the world.
I remember thinking that it was the most beautiful place I had ever been inside and that someday I hoped to have one of my own.
But back then it was nothing more than a dream—a little seed that Alex had planted inside me that would later grow into a beautiful tree covered with the most magnificent flowers I had ever seen.
We spent hours walking around the city’s tailoring shops and talking about our dreams.
We were both tired of working for someone else and dreamed of having something of our own, where we could be free to do as we pleased.
That’s when we decided to quit our jobs and open our own tailoring business.
Two years after meeting him, Alex asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes.
The first year of our relationship flew by as we continued to explore the city’s tailoring shops, dreaming about the day when we would have one of our own.
But during the second year, we started to get a little restless at work.
We had both been promoted to more important positions, which came with a nice salary increase, and other perks like being able to attend fashion shows in Paris twice a year.
But even though it was nice, it wasn’t enough for us anymore.
We felt like the fashion industry had lost its soul—that it was no longer about creating beautiful things, but instead about making money and putting profit margins above creativity and quality.
And that was something we just couldn’t accept anymore.
So when we started dating, we decided that we needed to do something about it.
We needed to create something of our own that would honor the art of tailoring the way it deserves to be honored.
So when he suggested that we quit our jobs, I could not agree fast enough…
When I arrived home from work, I found the table set for two in the middle of the living room with a delicious dinner waiting for me—homemade pasta carbonara, one of my favorite dishes ever!
“Surprise!” Alex shouted from the kitchen as he walked in, holding a bottle of white wine in one hand and two glasses in the other.
He kissed me on the cheek, his lips brushing against my skin in the most tender way possible, which made me shiver from head to toe.
“I thought we could celebrate the best way I know how—eating some delicious food and drinking some good wine.”
I smiled at him and hugged him tight before picking up one of the plates of pasta he had prepared earlier that day at his parents’ house, where they have a restaurant, so he didn’t have to cook anything when he got home from work.
He also set a place for me at the table with some beautiful napkins draped over a placemat made from green fabric that matched the walls in our living room.
“Did you get these at the store?”
He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist before placing a soft kiss on my forehead.
“I made them,” he said.
“They’re leftovers from our first collection.
I thought they would look good on our table…”
We had been so absorbed by the collection we were working on that I didn’t even realize that it was finished until Alex told me that we had to send it out to production.
When I saw all of our designs being made into reality, I could not believe how beautiful they were.
There was no other way to describe them—they were perfect!
They were exactly what I had always dreamed of since I met Alex that night at the fashion party.
And he felt exactly the same way.
When we first walked into that tailoring shop and I told him that I hoped to have one of my own someday, I never imagined that it would be something we would do together.
But it was.
And what we had created was even more beautiful than anything I could have ever dreamed up on my own…
As I looked at Alex, a smile spread across his face and his eyes sparkled with excitement.
He was just as proud of our work as I was.
“Thank you,” I said, feeling grateful to have him in my life.
He always seemed to know exactly what I needed, even before I did myself.
He hugged me tight before walking over to the table, where he poured two glasses of wine and pulled out a chair for me to sit down.
“So, how was your day?”
he asked as he sat down across from me, taking a sip of his wine before picking up his fork and digging into the pasta.
“It was fine,” I said.
“I just have a lot of work to do before we open the shop.”
He smiled at me and placed his hand over mine before squeezing it tight.
“You’ll do great,” he said before taking another bite of the pasta he had made for us.
I looked around the room and marveled at how beautiful everything looked—the green curtains that matched the placemats on the table, the soft yellow light from the lamp in the corner that cast a warm glow over everything in the room…
It all looked perfect in a way that I could never have imagined before.
We talked about our plans for the future as we ate, and when we were done with dinner, Alex cleared the table while I took care of the dishes.
Before we knew it, the night had come and gone, and it was time for bed…
It was bittersweet when I finally worked up the courage to tell my boss that I would be leaving to open our own tailoring business together, but it was something I knew that I needed to do.
The fashion industry was fast-paced and exciting in a way that nothing else ever had been for me, and I would miss it terribly when I moved on from my job at the magazine…
So many people asked me why I would want to leave such an amazing job with so many opportunities, but it felt like the right decision to make, so I did not let their words bother me too much.
When it came time for me to leave, everyone at the office surprised me with flowers and a cake, which they served at a party in honor of my last day there.
I could not believe how beautiful everything looked or how much thought they put into making sure that it was a special day for me…
As the clock struck five o’clock on my last day of work, the office staff gathered around my desk in a circle and sang “For She’s a Jolly Good Fellow,” which brought tears to my eyes as they clapped along with the music and cheered for me…
I was so happy to have gotten to know everyone at the office over the past six years, but it was clear that they were all ready for me to move on to the next chapter in my life as well.
By the time the song ended, the sun had started to set in the sky, filling the office with a beautiful orange glow…
I packed up my things and left the office for the last time…
As soon as I stepped outside into the fresh air, a huge weight fell from my shoulders and a sense of relief washed over me…
I was free!
Alex was waiting for me outside by the front doors of the building when I arrived…
As soon as he saw me, he walked over to where I was standing and wrapped his arms around my waist before placing a soft kiss on my forehead.
“How was your day?”
“It was great!”
I said, feeling happier than I had in months.
We had been planning on opening our own tailoring business together for a long time, but it was only now that it was finally happening that I was starting to feel excited about it all over again…
Alex had already arranged for us to attend tailoring classes at a local school starting next week, and he had found a space for us to rent in a beautiful location not far from where we lived…
It was clear that he was just as excited as I was about what we had planned for our future together, and it made me love him even more…
As we walked arm in arm down the street, I thought about how lucky I was to have him by my side, every step of the way…
He always seemed to know exactly what I needed, even when I did not realize it myself, and it was just one of the many things that I loved about him…
Unlike myself, who could be impulsive and spontaneous, Alex was always careful and thoughtful in everything he did.
He took his time when making decisions, thinking through every single possible outcome before finally settling on one…
It was just one of the many things that made me feel so grateful for him.
I must admit, I felt a little sad as I packed up my desk, knowing that I would never return to the office again.
I had been working in the corporate world for six years and it had become my second home, even if I did not always enjoy coming there.
I would miss the routine meetings, the familiar faces, and even the people who used to drive me crazy on a daily basis, hoping that they would miss me too.
As I made my way through the office one last time, I said goodbye and hugged each of my former colleagues, feeling grateful for all of the friendships I had formed during my time there.
All of a sudden, I heard someone shout “Surprise!”
and I turned around just in time to see a group of my coworkers come running towards me as they arrived at my desk.
They were carrying a huge bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne, which they handed over to me with big smiles on their faces.
We are going to miss you so much!”
they said in unison.
“Thank you!”
I replied, feeling touched by how much thought they had all put into my last day at work.
As I took the flowers and the champagne from them, I realized that I would miss them too, more than I ever could have imagined before I left…
I spent the next hour or so talking and laughing with my coworkers as I unpacked my things and said goodbye, and before I knew it, it was time for me to leave…
I gave each of my coworkers a big hug as I made my way towards the door, feeling more emotional than I had expected as I said goodbye and thank you for everything one last time.
All of a sudden, someone shouted “Speech!”
and I turned around just in time to see my boss arrive at the railing of the staircase with a microphone in his hand.
Now, we all know Emma here can talk pretty much anyone’s ear off, but she is not always great with words when it comes right down to it, so I will keep this short,” he said as he cleared his throat.
“She has worked here for six years, and she has always been friendly, professional, and talented in everything she has done for us during her time here.
I will never forget our first meeting together, when she came into my office for her job interview and looked so confident in her bright yellow suit.
It was clear from the beginning that she was going to go far in the fashion industry, and I am so proud of everything she has accomplished here during her time with us.
I would like to wish her all the best in her future endeavors, and I know that she will make a great business owner…”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone at the office began to clap and cheer as he handed me the microphone so that I could say a few words too.
I have loved working here for the past six years,” I said as everyone listened intently.
I would like to thank you all so much for your support over the years, and I will never forget all of the amazing opportunities you have given me during my time here.
I will miss you all so much…”
After I finished speaking, everyone at the office clapped and cheered once again before running over to give me a big hug…
I started feeling so much guilt for leaving such wonderful colleagues, that I doubted my decision to follow Alex in this adventure. Was this a terrible mistake?
You have so much potential, Emma!
One of my former coworkers shouted as she gave me a hug, and I felt like I was going to cry as soon as she said that…
There was no doubt about it; I was a crier, and I would miss her too, just like everyone else who had become a part of my life over the past six years…
When everyone had finished saying goodbye, my boss handed me an envelope and gave me another hug…
“It is not much, but it is a small gift from all of us,” he said as he winked at me.
I am sure you will do well on this new adventure…
As soon as he finished speaking, he walked away, and I opened up the envelope that he had given me and gasped as I saw what was inside…
It was a check for $20,000!
As soon as I saw it, I felt like I was going to cry all over again…My boss had always been generous with his employees, and I would never forget this small token of appreciation that he had given me during my final hour at the office…
As soon as everyone had finished saying goodbye, I walked out of the office and made my way towards the parking lot, wiping away the tears as I walked…I could not believe that I was really leaving this place, but as I drove away from the parking lot, I knew that it was time for me to go, whether I was ready or not…
When I first started working at the company, I had loved everything about it: the prestige, the great salary, and the chance to work with so many talented people every day.
But after six years, I knew that it was time for me to leave, as I did not want to work there anymore or live in the same city either.
All of a sudden, I started feeling a sense of freedom as I headed home, despite all of the uncertainty that lay ahead…
One of the things I had always liked most about myself was that I was a very organized person: when most people saw a blank calendar, they saw emptiness; but when I saw one, I saw endless possibilities.
Over the past year or so, Alex and I had come up with so many great ideas for our business that we wanted to try, but we had no time to try them while we were still working at our corporate jobs.
That was one of the main reasons why I knew that I wanted to start our business with Alex, despite all of the risk and uncertainty that lay ahead…there was no doubt that it was going to be a challenge to start our business from scratch and become successful in such a competitive industry, but I was sure that it would be worth it in the end…
When I arrived at our house an hour later, Alex was waiting for me in the living room and watching TV…
“How was your last day?”
he asked me as soon as I walked in.
“Oh, that is good,” he said with a smile.
I am sure you will miss them…”
“Yes, I will,” I said as I nodded slowly.
But at least you have me,” he said with a smile.
“Yes, I have you,” I said as I gave him a hug.
Now let’s focus on our business.”
“Yes, let’s do that,” he said with a smile.
I can’t wait to get started!”
I heard a sound outside as I gave him another hug…
Are you ready?”
Alex asked me again as we drove back to the office later that night…
“I am not sure,” I said with a smile.
“Are you ready?”
“I am more than ready!”
he said with an excited look on his face.
I just wanted to make sure you were ready too.”
“I am ready too,” I said as we parked the car and walked into the office.
I could not believe that Alex had already gone back to work before me: he had already been back at work for a couple of weeks now…
As soon as I got inside, everyone greeted me with smiles and hugs…
“We are going to miss you so much!”
one of my coworkers said to me as she gave me a big hug.
“We love you and we will never forget you.”
“I will miss all of you too,” I said with a smile.
“I will never forget all of you.”
As I made my way back to my desk and started packing up all of my stuff, I could feel a tear start to form in my eye…
I could not believe that this chapter of my life was really over…
Before I knew it, it was time for me to leave…
“It is time for me to go,” I said to my boss as I gave him another big hug.
“But don’t worry: I will never forget you.”
“We will never forget you either,” he said with a smile.
“We will always love you, Emma.”
As soon as I walked outside, I saw that my car was already there, waiting for me…
My boss had called someone and had my car brought up front for me so that I could leave right away…
As soon as I stepped out of the building, I saw that Alex was waiting for me by my car, with his arms crossed and a big smile on his face…
“Why are you waiting for me here?”
I said with a smile.
“You are already done with work?”
“Yes, I am already done with work,” he said with a big smile.
“Did you want me to leave without you?”
he said with a big smile.
“I did not know what time you were going home, so I wanted to wait for you here,” he said with a smile.
“Did you want me to leave without saying goodbye?”
“Now, let’s go home!”
he said with a smile as he opened the car door for me.
there is something else that I want to do first…”
he said with a smile as he opened the trunk and pulled out a bottle of champagne and two flutes.
What do you think I should do first?”
he said with a smile as he poured us each a glass of champagne.
“What do you think?”
he said with a big smile.
“Of course I did,” he said with a smile.
“Did you bring anything else?”
I said with a smile as I got into the backseat and closed the door behind me…
“I brought some music too,” he said with a big smile as he grabbed his phone from his pocket and turned it on, before putting it on the dashboard and turning on his favorite playlist…
Before I knew it, Alex was sitting next to me in the backseat, holding my hand and smiling at me…
“Let’s have some champagne!”
