Well, it was the Summer of 1988, and we were both 14 years old. The beach boys were playing Kokomo on the radio. I decided to go hang out at my friend Tonya's house that day. Tonya wanted to introduce me to her neighbor, Romo Martinez. I can remember him walking out to the driveway with his perfect hair, freckles and his big brown eyes. At that very moment it was as if something in me changed. I could not stop looking at him. Why is this boy making me feel so nervous? It seemed like after that, we hung out quite a bit... we went to the movies together, spent Halloween together. I even remember the 1st time I met his parents; they were so good looking and so friendly. My 15th Birthday arrived, and my parents threw me a party. I remember Romo coming carrying a very large gift. I unwrapped the box only to find another gift wrapped box inside. This went on at least 6 more times, before I finally got to the smallest wrapped box. When I unwrapped the final box, there was a bottle of Exclamation perfume. I had mentioned in conversation that I liked Exclamation, and he remembered. We had so much fun. Sadly, there was a very big misunderstanding, and we broke up as 15-year-olds do. A lot has happened since then. I left school and went on to perform with the show. Romo went to college, and life continued. Over the years I would mention his name to my friends. Whenever the song Kokomo would come on, my parents and sister would say, "Oh, Romo Martinez." Skip forward 33 years... 2021 was a very rough Summer. My Mama had just passed away and it had seemed that life was just kind of stuck. I remember being at the store and seeing an invite for a 30-year high school reunion. The 1st name I noticed was Romo Martinez. I remember being in the store and thinking, I wonder how he is doing. Not even 3 minutes after I was thinking about him, he sent me a hand wave emoji. I remember thinking no way. A short text conversation ensued. He told me that our friend Tonya passed away of cancer. Our conversation was short basically talking about our children and parents. We had wished each other a happy Thanksgiving. Yet it was not until January (2022) that we started to really talk. He decided to come visit me a couple months later in NY. I was nervous all over again. I remember walking into the airport and picking him up. He was handsome and tall, and all grown up. When we got back to my house he had a small gift for me, not expecting anything at all, I was surprised. I could not believe my eyes... it was the same Exclamation perfume he gave me 34 years before. Of course, we laughed at the fact it was a cheap bottle of perfume, but it was the point he remembered. At that very moment I knew I loved this man. We could not be apart more than a month after that. We spent so much time together even with our kids, his family, my family... it was as if it was just all meant to be. We went to Siesta Key Florida in February of 2023 for a quick get-a-way. Next thing I know, he gets down on one knee, like the gentleman he is, and asked me to marry him. He put the ring on my finger, and I gave him a big hug and kiss. We walked on the beach for another 10 minutes before I realized that I never gave him my answer... I was like OMG YES by the way. Well, the rest is history and here we are. They say in life everything is meant to be... the good, the bad, and even the I do's and I don'ts. What we do know for certain is that when you know, you know. Life is complicated. Love is like a circle. It always comes around and brings you to where you need to be. I feel very blessed to have reconnected with Romo. We have both gained 2 extra daughters, amazing, kind and loving in-laws, brother and sister in-laws, and a group of friends that have loved and invited us both into their hearts.