How you flirt based on your 5H
The 5th house is ruled by the sun & the sign of Leo; it rules over pleasure, our relationship to children (& “baby-making”), self-expression, creativity, the arts, what we consider fun, & romantic flings. The 5H represents how we express ourselves-romantically + creatively. Using the 5H, we are able to see how we & others flirt.
Aries 5H: You make the first move. You’re direct. You aren’t afraid to ask for their number or tell them how good they look. You don’t hint. You’ll be the one to break the ice, & others find your confidence attractive.
~ Figures w an Aries 5H: Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, Adriana Lima, Jhene Aiko, + Hailey Bieber
Taurus 5H: You make them swoon over you. You use your looks + material possessions to gain your crush’s attention. You cater yourself to their aesthetic a bit; you might dress in a way you know they will like. You are extra thoughtful of them, you may even buy them gifts.
~ Figures w a Taurus 5H: Kylie Jenner, FKA Twigs, Christy Turlington, Jude Law, + Rebecca Ferguson
Gemini 5H: You pique their interest. You keep them guessing & never let them become bored. You ask them questions about themselves & notice the little things about them that others don’t; ppl love your charisma + good nature.
~ Figures w a Gemini 5H: Ariana Grande, Megan Fox, Mac Miller, David Bowie, + Aaliyah
Cancer 5H: You offer them solace; they feel safe w you. You often find yourself being a place of comfort for those whom you care for. More subtle in nature, your affection comes across as warm & tender.
~ Figures w a Cancer 5H: Michael Jackson, Zayn Malik, Audrey Hepburn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, + Alicia Keys
Leo 5H: You attract them. Having the sign of Leo in its own house, you don’t have to do much to catch your crush’s attention- however, you might introduce them to your world of music, fashion, etc. if you really like them. You’re vibrant & inviting; your smile is enough to make them melt.
~ Figures w a Leo 5H: Rihanna, Heath Ledger, Gigi Hadid, Penélope Cruz, + Kendall Jenner
Virgo 5H: You do favors for them; you remember the things they like & dislike. You observe them & make them feel seen. You may offer them advice. Others appreciate your attention to detail.
~ Figures w a Virgo 5H: Miley Cyrus, Amy Winehouse, Pete Davidson, Kristen Stewart, + Pamela Anderson
Libra 5H: You charm them. You’re surprisingly forward & you use your people skills to your advantage. You know how to make someone blush. Your mannerisms are naturally flirtatious, & when you like someone you play that up.
~ Figures w a Libra 5H: Cher, Lindsey Lohan, Drew Barrymore, Jack Harlow, + Charli XCX
Scorpio 5H: You seduce them. Your eyes are very sultry, & you know how to use them; you make direct eye contact. You may run a hand thru your hair or draw attention to your lips when you know they’re looking. Others associate you w having a naturally sexy presence.
~ Figures w a Scorpio 5H: Angelina Jolie, Kanye West, Lisa Bonet, Sharon Tate, + Abel Tesfaye
Sagittarius 5H: You have fun w it. You like to tease them; joke around a bit & make them nervous. Unpredictability is key, which means you’re good at surprises. You love to keep them on their toes & wanting more. Ppl admire your lust for life + spontaneity.
~ Figures w a Sagittarius 5H: Alexa Demie, Drake, Selena Gomez, Brittany Murphy, + Audrey Plaza
Capricorn 5H: You make an effort. More traditional, you’ll put in the work to show them you like them. You’ll ask them out. Direct, but not pushy. When you like someone, you don’t mind paying the tab. Your “old fashioned” dating style is a breath of fresh air for many.
~ Figures w a Capricorn 5H: Timothée Chalamet, Bella Hadid, Keanu Reeves, Kurt Cobain, + Christina Ricci
Aquarius 5H: You make yourself accessible to them. Not usually the one to initiate, you try to make it easier for them to make a move. You will add them on all your socials, respond to their texts; you might like to talk to them over the phone a lot. They’ll catch the hint.
~ Figures w a Aquarius 5H: Beyoncé, Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington, Gia Carangi, + Idris Elba
Pisces 5H: You romanticize them. You take them as they are & see them thru caring eyes. You are gentle w them; you point out all the things you like about them & compliment them often. Ppl cherish your softness.
~ Figures w a Pisces 5H: Lana Del Rey, Frank Ocean, River Phoenix, Doja Cat, + Natalie Portman
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Astrology observations 🤍🤍🤍
Credit goes to my Tumblr blog @astroismypassion
It’s astrology tea time again! 😁
🤍🤍 Aquarius Moon women can end up being labelled as “too weird to date” by their partner. Their partner can view them as following odd, weird practices that they don’t resonate with.
🤍🤍 If you have Venus in the 10th house synastry overlay with a romantic partner, your or their parents highly encouraged this relationship, because you seem like you have similar values and believe in similar things. They might even help you two come together in a romantic union, like set you up, even try to arrange marriage.
🤍🤍 Aries Moon women can often end up being a part of a love triangle unknowingly or put through that by their favourite person. Like Selena Gomez (Aries Moon) with Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin Bieber. Or if you are familiar with Youtube/TikTok stars Eva Gutowski (Aries Moon) with Brent Riviera and Pierson. Or even Angelina Jolie (Aries Moon) with Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
🤍🤍 You can get bullied for things connected with your Sun sign and house. If you are a Gemini Sun, people who try to tear you down, might try to say you have fat fingers or hands that are too long, that you voice is annoying etc. If you have Sun in the 10th house (bones and teeth) people can see you have weird teeth when they are trying to insult you.
🤍🤍 Pluto in the 3rd house people often try to justify their opinion, view by stating where or what they studied/where they went to school. 😂 It’s like “no trust me bro, I studied law” with everything they say and try to justify.
🤍🤍 In Ascendant in the 8th house synastry overlay, you as the Ascendant person you will notice every little change in this person’s appearance, like a new haircut, but even little details, like they changed the colour of their leather watch belt etc. You will be perceiving all the little details about their appearance A LOT.
🤍🤍 Gemini Chiron and Gemini/Virgo Lilith are people who are most likely to falsify a family member’s signature at any point in life (not just as children), even as adults.
🤍🤍 Speaking of Gemini Chiron, these people get often “shamed” if they don’t own a car and use public transportation. If they do own a car, they are fans of car sharing as well.
🤍🤍 Sagittarius Part of Fortune people understand themselves better while teach a sibling/a friend/a parent/ a child something. Finally, they understand better how their mind works.
🤍🤍 8th house synastry leads to a lot of self-censoring. Like “I’m not gonna say this about myself or reveal this, because this person might think I’m weird”.
🤍🤍 6th house shows transition to adulthood. So how you were as a young adult. For example if you have Venus in the 6th house: you were patient and kind young adult.
🤍🤍 Taurus Venus wants a romantic partner that has similar personality, values and also lifestyle, so habits. And someone who works actively and hard to maintain a loving relationship. Because they are so stubborn to change, so they will not change for anyone’s sake.
🤍🤍 Gemini Moon or Moon in the 3rd house either doesn’t text with emojis at all or tries to tell a story with emojis only like: 🚴♂️🏔☀️😁
🤍🤍 Sagittarius Chiron and Chiron in the 9th house are all over the place. 😅 They lack direction, because of constantly doing a lot of things at once. Chiron in the 11th house also needs to learn to be alone. You guys learn independence and not relying on groups of people to fuel your confidence.
🤍🤍 Scorpio Vertex or Vertex in the 8th house people can be accused as being “too sexual” or “hypersexual” by their committed partner.
🤍🤍 I wouldn’t really say that your marriage partner will match your Juno sign with their Sun sign. Juno sign will represent their qualities and traits. I noticed often you can respond better to Vertex sign. So the sign of your Vertex can be the Sun sign of your person that you end up marrying.
🤍🤍 Juno sign though points to best trait of your partner. If you have a Gemini Juno, it’s best you pick the most talkative, communicative or intelligent person out of those you are considering. If you have Libra Juno: the one that is the prettiest out of the friend group. Capricorn Juno: the one that’s the most successful, has the best reputation or others admire them or look up to them the most. Cancer Juno: the one your mother would like the best or the one that resembles your mother the most or the one you see is the best family person.
🤍🤍 Aries Part of Fortune or Part of Fortune in the 1st house people have very unique personality, one of a kind type. That’s why they get new opportunities by just being themselves, because of a very distinctive personality. They also look to other people as though they have a solid sense of self and people make them a leader, because of that.
🤍🤍 Sun at 14 degrees (Taurus degree) people “transmute” or “transfer” a lot of their own self-loving, self-care energy onto their partner. So their partner becomes more confident and has better self-worth, because of trust and bond they have with the Sun person.
🤍🤍 Pisces Juno or Juno in the 12th house can dream of their future partner just before meeting them.
🤍🤍 Libra Juno or Juno in the 7th house on the other hand, will each time they might a significant partner, feel like their meeting is straight out of a movie scene.
🤍🤍 Capricorn Juno or Juno in the 10th house on the other hands will meet their partner in a group setting, usually when surrounded with friends too.
🤍🤍 Taurus Venus people often feel entitled to their partner, even when ending the relationship. There is this sense of “I made you”. They usually give status, attention, money, better style or confidence to pursue things to their partner, so they end up being “entitled” to them.
🤍🤍 17 degrees of any personal planet means profitable fame. You will be able to monetise being well-known in the community.
🤍🤍 Where you have Aquarius in your chart, there is where you too easily feel excluded from group gatherings. Aquarius in the 3rd house: might have not been invited to many group gatherings in high school etc.
Credit goes to my Tumblr blog @astroismypassion
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a/n + disclaimer: first of all, she's BACK and she finished a fic! second, nobody show this to Barzy, okay? we don’t need his ego inflating as I compare him and his level of fame to that of Justin Bieber lolol. anyways, after listening to Hailey’s recent interview, I just thought this would be a fun one to write – something different! this is an interview from the perspective of the reader, who is married to Barzy.
please note: a few select parts of this were transcribed directly from Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy interview with Hailey Bieber from September 28, so I want to give that credit – those portions are in bold. all in all, this should not be read or regarded as the actual interview! I’m also not claiming it as my own – this is fanfiction based on a public interview. photos were pulled from public Instagram (specifically Mat’s and Hailey’s) and Pinterest accounts. also, be nice to people. like damn. if this interview taught anybody anything, I hope it’s that.
warnings: based on an episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast which I know a lot of people hate (I am certainly not a fan nor a regular listener but wanted to hear Hailey's perspective on this), swearing, alcohol, mention of depression / anxiety / dark thoughts – don’t read if any of these trigger you
word count: ~5,500
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“Think I’m just gonna take a drive, you know? If that’s okay,” Mathew said tentatively. “Listen to it on my own.”
You nodded, your breaths shallow, and wondered if he could sense your unease. Then, as he grabbed his keys and set his gaze on you from across the room, you knew beyond a doubt that he could. Of course he could – he’d been your reflection, the balance on the other side of the scale of your life, for more than seven years now.
Mathew came closer to where you sat on the sleek sofa and caged you in with one arm leaning against the back and the other resting on the arm of the couch. He studied you for a moment before speaking.
“You gonna be okay here without me? I can stay if you w-“
You shook your head quickly, pulling the cuffs of your crewneck down to cover your trembling fingers.
“I’ll be okay, Maty,” you interrupted, your voice soft but sure. “Promise. You do what you need to do.”
He nodded slowly, raised his hand to tenderly stroke his thumb along your jawline, and kissed you softly.
“I love you,” he said, as quiet as he’d ever been, yet still at his most firm and convincing. “Nothing in the world is ever going to change that. Nothing. Just… just know that, okay?”
You nodded and brushed back the soft curls that had fallen onto his forehead.
“I know that,” you assured him. “I’ll see you when you get back.”
—
You couldn’t immediately open the YouTube app on your TV after Mathew left. It took you five minutes of pacing to simply press the button to power on the screen. After another five minutes of procrastinating by tidying up around the kitchen, you forced yourself to return to the couch and pull up the app.
You had finally faced your fears last week and had sat down with an acquaintance, Zoe Rodriguez, to comment at last on a topic that you had never before discussed publicly – your personal life.
But this was far more poignant than just a casual chat with a random friend. Zoe just so happened to be the host of one of the most popular, most-watched, most-listened-to pop culture podcasts in the world. The hour-long conversation took place at Zoe’s studio and consisted of details about your upbringing, your professional projects, and – the reason that probably something like 99% of listeners tuned in – your relationship with Mathew.
And now, after agonizing over its release for days on end, it was time to face the music. Or, in this case, to face the video version of the podcast episode. Which was also being featured as a long-form article with exclusive photos on Zoe’s blog. (So 2022.)
You closed your eyes for a moment and prayed silently, primarily, that Mathew wouldn’t be hurt by either the interview or any backlash from it, and secondly, that it might, indeed, deliver some semblance of the peace and freedom you had envisioned when you had agreed to the whole thing in the first place. Next, you curled into the arm of the couch, your toes tucked between the velvety cushions, the long stem of your glass of red wine secured between your two middle fingers. You took a generous gulp of your favorite merlot, set your lips in a firm line, and breathed in deeply. Then, you reached for the remote again, and this time, finally pressed play. Zoe’s familiar voice filled the air, and photos of you, of Mathew, and of the two of you together – which you had also seen upon briefly scrolling through the corresponding blog post earlier today – flashed onscreen as she introduced the podcast.
Zoe [playfully]: “Mrs. Barzal, thank you for meeting me today to do this.”
You [smiling]: “Of course. Thank you for having me!”
Z: “I wanted to tell you, I know you always do the black, rounded nails with no sparkle, and so to channel my inner you, I did the same thing for this interview. You inspired me.”
Y [clapping]: “Ah, I love it! When people tell me I inspire them to do anything when it comes to like fashion, beauty, anything really, I always say that’s the biggest compliment, so thank you so much.”
Z: “So, let’s get into it. You are married to one of the most famous athletes in North America, and by far one of the most famous figures in the NHL, Mathew Barzal.”
Y: “Yes, I am.”
Z: “What are your favorite things about Mathew?”
Y: “Oh, god, I could go on for so long and this could get really cringey and embarrassing, so I’ll try to keep this short and sweet [giggling]. I think the biggest thing I always tell people is that he’s literally my best friend in the entire world. Like, there is absolutely no one else I would rather spend my time with, even if we’re just snuggling on the couch doing absolutely nothing. And we’ve truly grown up together. We were friends for a long time before anything else, and like… [wistfully] I just love him… He understands me more than anybody ever has in my whole life, and I think that goes both ways. He’s just my guy. He’s the most amazing person with the sweetest soul, which probably not a lot of people know. He’s super romantic and thoughtful. And he’ll probably tease me to no end for saying this but he’s always had this quiet confidence which I find really, really sexy [wiggles eyebrows].”
Z: “I mean yeah, not to make moves on your man, but I would definitely have to agree with that! And I also love how the two of you are honestly just very down to earth for who you both are and the worlds that you come from.”
Y “Thank you! I appreciate you saying that because, yeah, that is not always the perception of us. And it sounds obnoxious to even try and defend, to be like, ‘no, wait, I swear we seriously are normal and boring!’ But it’s true. Like we love just eating super greasy New York pizza and drinking beers in our living room doing puzzles and watching trash TV. That’s just who we are and that’ll never change.”
Z: “Okay, well now you have to divulge what trash TV you’re watching.”
Y: “Shit, he’s gonna be so pissed at me for blowing up his spot like this [laughing]. But I’m gonna do it anyway. We both love watching Love Island. That’s probably our number one most watched trash show together. Like we wait with bated breath for each episode! So lame. And we also love Real Housewives. That one’s harder to keep up with because there are so many of them now, but we always send each other the memes and stuff on Instagram [throws head back in laughter]. My favorite is Beverly Hills; he likes New York. So dumb but it’s just fun.”
Z: “No, I love it! We all need our mindless TV shows to binge. Now, were you into hockey before you met Mathew? Did you follow it?”
Y: “Honestly, no. I grew up in a family where the NFL was like our religion. My dad did watch the occasional Rangers game – which Mathew loves when I say, as you can imagine – especially on weeknights when we were just chilling after dinner. But no, I was not a big hockey gal. Didn’t know much about it, couldn’t name more than like, ten players in the league probably until Mat and I got together. Things will still happen, like penalties or plays where I’m like having our friends explain to me why that’s not allowed [chuckling]. Which, again, has been yet another misconception, with people thinking I was some kind of puck bunny, skate chaser, going after him because he’s an athlete, which was simply not the case. So yeah, another incorrect perception there. But I know we’ll get deeper into that later.” [smirking]
Z: “Yeah, speaking of which… Now, I have to change the subject-”
Y: “Oh, god, here we go [readjusts in the chair].”
Z: “No, no, I know how you feel about this. I know you don’t like talking about it, but we’re just gonna rip the bandaid off, okay? You can do it.”
Y: “Okay [deep breath]. Go. I’m ready.”
Z: “So, since the very beginning of your relationship, you, in particular, have had a rough go of it from so-called ‘fans.’”
Y: “Mhm.”
Z: “Could you speak on that?”
Y: “Yeah, it was not a fun thing to deal with as an eighteen-, nineteen-year-old, I will say that. Of course it’s not fun now either, but I have learned how to cope. But in the beginning it was just so intense, and I had no idea where it was coming from, or why. I remember first seeing shit on social media, which we all know is just a toxic vortex for the most part, and just being like, ‘wait, what? What did I do? Why don’t they like me?’ As a teenager, most people want other people to like them, and when that’s not the case, they obsess over it. It can really weigh on you, and you just wonder what you can do, or maybe even shouldn’t have done, so that people like you more. And that is certainly what was happening those first few years. Like all the ‘bunny blogs’ as people call them, and even some like legit media members were so horrible and nasty about us-”
Z: “About you, specifically. You can say it.”
Y: “Well, yeah. That’s true. Mathew got some of it too, though. And again, we’ve known each other for so long, and we were just kids in the beginning. Like, literally kids! And there was definitely some, like, cocky, asshole, entitled behavior going on on both of our parts which came across negatively to people. For him, he was just a little immature when he first came into the league, just like anybody in that position, and he was maybe acting out a bit because he was so young, with all this brand new money, and you couldn’t really tell him anything for a while. But he comes from a wonderful family and he is very grounded at the end of the day, so he quickly grew up and moved on from that. And for me, it was just being on my own in New York City, with a little distance from my family finally, trying to chart my own course and create my own name, and that certainly contributed to this ‘I’ll do whatever I want with whomever I want’ attitude for me which also came across poorly and didn’t necessarily speak to who I really was. But again, we were both just still growing up. We still are! So yeah, I think that contributed to some of that toxicity and negative energy about our relationship early on.”
Z: “And I also personally feel like, with Mathew being who he is – I mean, let’s face it, he was a heartthrob, and still is – and especially playing in a major market, there was probably at least a portion of his fanbase that felt some sense of entitlement, especially maybe among young women, when it came to him and who he dated.”
Y: “Yeah, I definitely think that’s the case. And I think from day one, there were people who supported us, but there were also a ton of people who were angry that he picked me. Like, ‘why do you get to be with him? Why do you get to marry him?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know! We fell in love.’ There was times where I can confidently say, like, I don’t think we knew it was gonna be each other. Several times. So like, I can’t say that at 18 years old, I knew 100% that that was my husband. I didn’t know. I didn’t fucking know.”
Z: “No matter who he ended up with though, fans were never going to just be like, ‘oh, yeah, she seems cool! Go Mat!’”
Y: “Yeah, that’s true. Whether it was me, or some sweet, random girl who grew up two towns away from him in BC, or the most perfect celebrity or athlete in the world. No one, in the fans’ minds, would have ever been good enough, no. For whatever reason, the universe determined that we were going to find each other.”
Z: “Right. Like you didn’t ask for this. The two of you just happened to be living in the same city, you met each other, you fell for each other and, boom, little did you know you’d wind up together.”
Y: “Yes, exactly.”
Z: “And how has being married to Mathew, with him being who he is, like we’ve already discussed, affected you?”
Y: “[wincing] Yikes. That’s a tough one. Again, I don’t like to focus on the negative, as you can probably tell, because there are so many wonderful things about being with him, being married to him. Like, I get to spend my life with the absolute best person I know, and I fucking love that. And we get a lot of amazing opportunities and exciting things that come our way because of who he is, who we are, where we live. But it is not always a walk in the park like people think. I have had some really dark days where I wondered if it would be better if I had never met him, or if I was never even here, which pains me to say now because that is no longer the way I feel at all. I’ve been open with him and with my inner circle about those dark, heavy feelings, and thank god, they just embraced me during that time with completely open arms and never shamed or guilted me for the way I was feeling. They encouraged me to just take a step back and not become so wrapped up in it that I couldn’t see my life for what it truly is. And lots, and lots of therapy – it works wonders, people! And don’t get me wrong, there are still times where I do wonder what it would be like if we both just worked normal jobs. Like if I ended up becoming a veterinarian like I always dreamed about and he was like, a salesman or a carpenter or something. I do think about that, what it would be like to not be under such scrutiny for things we say, things we do, places we go, or even just being us. Or what it would be like for people to just not care about us, you know? [chuckles] I sometimes think that that would be really nice. But I also always say, I never wonder what it would be like to be with somebody else. Like I know that he’s it for me, without a doubt. And I get it – we’re in the public eye, and people want to know what’s going on with us. It’s just something that I’ve had to learn to deal with, and to just decide how much of myself and my relationship that I do want to share.”
Z: “Speaking of which, could you tell me a little bit about how social media has impacted you? Maybe both as an individual and your relationship?”
Y: “Yeah, the thing I always say to my family and close friends is that it feels very foreign and bizarre for everyone and their brother to feel as though they have a say in my relationship. First of all, because they don’t. Let’s just make that very clear. Mathew and I do not take the public’s opinion of us into consideration at all when we think or talk about our relationship and what steps to take next, or what decisions to make moving forward. And it’s also weird because… why do people get so invested in a relationship which isn’t even theirs? That’s what has always been so strange to me. Just because we cherry-pick moments of our lives that we choose to share on social media or through the media, whether that’s magazines or interviews or whatever, doesn’t mean that people actually know us. Again, I understand people recognize us as public figures, but why do they go out of their way to go on social media and let us, and the entire world, know what they think of us? Like, to be quite frank, I don’t care that people were pissed when we got together at 18 and broke up at 20 and got back together at 21 and then almost immediately got engaged and married. Did I ever envision that happening? No, I absolutely didn’t. Can I understand that people were shocked or surprised? Yes, totally. I definitely get that. But why were you angry? That has always thrown both of us for a loop. Because who were the only two peoples’ lives who were actually impacted by that decision? His, and mine. That’s a choice we made together, without anyone else’s influence, and it’s one that we are super proud of. Because it might have seemed crazy to the outside world, but it felt right to us at the time, and it still does to this day. So, as much as is humanly possible, we’ve just refused to let other peoples’ negativity impact the way we view ourselves or one another or go about our relationship, as hard as people might try.”
Z: “And to that point, at the start of this relationship, people were even questioning your motives for wanting to be with Mathew. People were saying that you were only with him for the fame, or the money, or that you sought him out, sought this life out, purposefully, with these questionable motives at the front of your mind. Can you speak to that specific perception of the relationship and how that felt to you?”
Y: “You know, the funny thing about that one to me is, I came from a well-known family, and every single one of my family members will tell you that since I was a little girl I would say, ‘when I grow up, my husband is gonna be a nurse or a professor and I’m gonna be a stay-at-home mom, and we’re gonna live in the middle of nowhere and have a bunch of kids!’ Like, I never wanted this life. I never wanted people to know who I was or where I lived or anything about me, really. I was always jealous of my friends who did have that. So when I heard that narrative about Mathew and me, of course it wasn’t fun, because like I said, as an eighteen-year-old, you do care a lot about what people think of you and how you’re perceived. But eventually I was just able to laugh it off knowing that anybody who really, truly knows me, knows that that is so far from being the case. And it took plenty of therapy sessions and discussions with Mathew, but I realized that no one will ever know the way that this relationship came to be, because it was behind closed doors. And that’s okay. I actually came to love that fact. Because as much as people think they know, they really don’t. Again, the only people who know how it happened and what our intentions were are Mathew, me, and those closest to us who we’ve trusted with that information. And no one is ever going to be able to take that away from me, or from us – not that, nor anything else in my life. So now I realize that that’s a beautiful thing.”
Z: “Tell me about how things have changed for you in these past couple of years since you’ve put in the work, and explain why you say things have gotten better for you.”
Y: “Yeah, I definitely think things have improved over the last couple of years, and part of that probably does have to do with the fact that I’ve spent a lot of time working on my healing and my inner peace. But overall, for the most part, people are nicer. As you know, there were several years there where I just didn’t share anything with anyone. Even my friends from high school or, like, my sister’s friends or parents’ friends would be like, ‘is she okay? I haven’t seen her post anything in forever. She, like, fell off the face of the earth.’ And that was a product of that scrutiny and that pressure being so intense for a while. I thought, well, if I don’t share anything, and if Mat doesn’t share anything about me, then they can’t hurt me. I didn’t want Mathew to post me on any social media outlet, at all. Not for my birthday, not for our anniversary, nothing. And whatever I did post was very guarded, very cryptic, and many times I would just take it down, like, hours later after overthinking it. And eventually I did realize that that was actually really hurting him in ways I couldn’t even comprehend at that time, until we both just opened up and got brutally honest about the way we were both feeling and how the other’s behaviors were hurting each other. And that was like a wake-up call. Like, ‘hey, this is not all about you, and this is something your partner wants to do to make you feel loved, so snap out of it.’ It took me a long time and a lot of work to get over it and let him show me off because he’s proud of me. And you know what? I’m damn proud of him too, and now I let people know it. I’m ashamed to say I used to be scared to post when he, like, hit a milestone or made the national roster or something. And now I’m like his professional hype woman, and when people have nasty things to say about it, we just tune out the noise, because at the end of the day, none of that matters. The only thing that does is how we feel about one another. And now I feel like I can be vulnerable and be my truest, most authentic self with my audience. And in 99 cases out of 100, they have been so incredible to me, and to Mat, too. Like, I have people who love the beauty line who have never watched a hockey game in their life before finding me, now they’re posting Mat on their story and tweeting to him like, ‘yes, king, you’re going to the playoffs, we’re so proud of you!’ And I just think that’s the sweetest thing ever. And I felt like actually taking the step to, even though at times it was really uncomfortable for me, being like, ‘I’m proud of who I am, and this is my personality.’ And like, this is gonna sound probably so corny, but to me, I’ve always felt like I was just a girl from fucking New York… [covers face] Oh my god, this is gonna sound so cringe! I grew up, to me, I felt like, very normal… I’m from a small town called Nyack which is outside New York. And I woke up every day and I was homeschooled and I did ballet! [giggling] And I feel like I’ve remained that same person. And of course life has changed drastically, but at the core, I feel like I’m proud of who I am. I know I’ve always been the same person, and I feel very rooted and very grounded. And I grew up very grounded and rooted. And of course I came from a famous family, that’s the reality of my life. Can’t change that either. And I just feel like people didn’t really know me or know my story or know the kind of person I was. People don’t know what kind of friend I am. People don’t know what kind of daughter I am. People don’t know what kind of sister I am. But I know.”
Z: “Speaking about your family, your friends: as we wrap up, tell me, who are the people in your circle who you lean on? Who do you trust no matter what? Who is there for you, other than Mat, when you’re having a bad day, having a tough time?”
Y: “First and foremost, my parents. I feel super fortunate that the two of them are truly some of my very best friends. They still live in the home I grew up in outside the city, so when I’m feeling overwhelmed in the city or even on the Island or I just need to get away, that’s where I go. It’s like my sanctuary. My mom and I love to cook and bake together, and my dad and I love taking the dogs for long walks in the woods by our house, and when it’s nice we go fishing. See, there’s another thing people probably don’t know about me! I can fish even with these claws. [chuckling as she holds up her fingers to display her signature black acrylic tips] And Mathew and I each have one sister. They’re both out on the West Coast so we don’t get to see them as often as we’d like, but we both talk to them pretty much every day. And when I need to vent or cry to somebody, my first call is to one of them. And I feel really lucky to still be best friends with a couple of girls from my hometown who I’ve literally known for like twenty years now. I won’t call them out here, but they’re on my socials from time to time. They’re my rock. And finally, some of the veteran wives on the team have become my very best friends, including Sydney [Esiason, daughter of New York Jets great Boomer, wife of Islanders enforcer Matthew] Martin, Kristy Cizikas [wife of Casey], Meg Bailey [wife of Josh], and even more. I’m really close with that group in particular because, one, Mathew is really close with all their spouses on the team and two, because for better or worse, they and I have gone through very similar things, so they’ve helped me through a lot. I know I can lean on them for support and come to them with anything because we’re all in the same boat, you know? Plus they all have the sweetest babies, so getting to go over to their houses and play with them and cuddle with them always lowers the blood pressure!”
Z: “If you could say something to the public, which this is obviously giving you the opportunity to do, what would you say?”
Y: “To all of my supporters, I think I’d just say thank you. Thank you to those of you who have always supported me and been lovely to me. Thank you for giving me a continued platform and a voice which allows me to, hopefully, do things that matter, things that can make a difference. And I’d also say, to those people who have not always been so nice or those who do not like me, first I’d say, that’s okay. I don’t need you to like me, truthfully [snickers]. Like, that’s okay and that’s your prerogative. Second, I’d say… I’m not going anywhere. [laughing hysterically] Just kidding… kind of! But in reality, I’d just say, don’t forget that there is a real person on the other side of that screen you’re staring at while you make these mean comments. A real person with emotions and problems and shit going on in their life that you have no idea about. I would just encourage people to keep that in mind next time they go to make a comment or post a nasty video. And overall, just be kind to each other. We don’t have enough kindness in this world, and it can be a really cold place to be. So be a light and just try to make the world around you a better place, even if it’s just your little corner of it. You’ll be happier – I promise.”
—
As Zoe wrapped up the interview onscreen, you held your breath, hand pressed to your chest, waiting for the anxiety, the dread
But you didn’t feel anxiety, though. No, not in this moment. You weren’t nervous or scared or wishing you could take it all back, like you fully anticipated you would feel.
Instead, you felt pride. And that feeling alone was enough to make you smile.
Then, you did another thing that would have terrified you two years ago, especially after a public appearance: you opened your Twitter mentions and began to scroll.
Of course, there was still the occasional troll who popped their ugly head in to spew hate throughout your mentions. But overwhelmingly, almost exclusively… it was love. And, even more importantly, respect.
nobody should receive hate for who they love. we love you, @/yourusername!
wow, I honestly had no clue @/yourusername went through all of this. what a strong person, but she shouldn’t have had to endure that. kudos, gf!
y’all just jealous you ain’t who barzy chose, and it’s time to get over it. shoutout @/yourusername for baring her heart!
I’m glad @/yourusername said things are better now, but damn.. people suck. keep being you, bestie!
we should all be so lucky to have @/yourusername grace us with her being.. @/barzal97 especially you, homeboy. we <;3 you guys!
The feeling of a smile spreading across your face while using social media felt foreign, but you embraced it – another reminder that things were, in fact, different now, better now.
You stood up, stretched your arms to the ceiling, and let the smile grow on your lips and the gratitude bloom in your heart before you took your empty glass to the sink. You peered at the clock and wondered when Mathew might return and how he might be feeling at this very moment.
By way of distraction from obsessing over his arrival, you sat at the kitchen counter on your laptop, attempting to begin sifting through the barrage of emails that had filtered in within just the last several hours since the interview went live. Just as you were wrapping up a response to your agent about one of the many requests for additional comment (never going to happen, you thought to yourself as you shook your head), you heard the familiar sound of the lock on the front door clicking open.
This is it.
You steeled yourself, closing your eyes and taking a deep breath from your belly, and you waited. Against all your rationale, you waited for him to be upset, or offended, or angry, or, far worse than all of the above, disappointed. You could crawl out of your skin at the idea of disappointing him.
His footsteps came nearer, and you couldn’t bear to turn around and face him, not yet. But he didn’t need you to. He wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, his chin settling on your shoulder. As you relaxed into his touch, you rested your hands against his forearm.
Neither of you made a move for a beat, and suddenly you heard soft sniffling in your ear. Concern washing over you, you reached back to sink your nails into his hair. He tucked his face into your neck, and it was only then that you felt a warm wetness on your skin. Your heart beat faster, panic coursing through your veins.
“Bubs… are you okay?” you whispered.
You wriggled loose in his grasp just enough to turn on the barstool and meet his eyes. He immediately cupped your face in his long fingers, a newfound admiration in his teary gaze.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m just so fucking proud of you,” he finally choked out. “To open up and be vulnerable the way you did… that takes so much strength and so much courage. I just, I admire you and I respect you so much, baby. I love you, you know that?”
His eyebrows were knit together, desperate to make you understand how much he meant every single word. You knew he did — you felt it deep within your soul, could see it in his warm chestnut eyes. You pressed your hand against his and nodded.
“I do know. And I love you so much.”
—
later that night…
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