We met in the summer of 2023 at the Drayson Center beach volleyball courts, where we played on different intramural teams and slowly became acquainted through weekly games. Both of us assumed the other was unavailable, so neither of us made a move at first! Throughout the fall, Lexi often appeared at volleyball games, sometimes to play, sometimes just to watch, which left Marcelo curious. On October 18, Marcelo finally took the initiative, walked Lexi to her car, and asked her out to Stells, the coffee shop. Our first date was a study date at Stell’s, which instead turned into three hours of talking. In the following weeks, Lexi and Marcelo continued getting to know each other through volleyball, frozen yogurt, church, shared meals, studying, and long walks. Over the next few weeks, we went on several official dates, from apple donuts at Oak Glen to looking at Christmas lights, axe throwing, and more, until Marcelo asked Lexi to be his girlfriend on December 8 at the Montage hotel in Laguna Beach. One year and nine months later, Marcelo proposed to Lexi on a beautiful day at her Grandparents’ cherry farm in Placerville, completely surprising her, and marking the beginning of their next chapter together.