We met; dare we say it through an online dating app. Cringe. But this dating app was the best thing that could have ever happened to the both of us. We began messaging around the end of May 2018. It was Memorial Day. Gabe was visiting the beach house and I was enjoying a summer break away from my graduate studies. One evening, I went for a run down at Landa Park and got a message from Gabe. He asked if could grab a bite to eat. It was unexpected but needed after weeks of messaging. I told Gabe that I would need to get back home to shower and change and I would meet him there. He was on his way back home from the beach. Gabe pulled up in his Jurassic Park Jeep while I waited on the curb at Willie’s Ice House in New Braunfels, TX. We ate and chatted and had the best conversation. I ordered a salad, although I really wanted a burger. Gabe texted me not two minutes after we left and asked if he could take me out again sometime. I was excited, because I knew I really liked him. He tells me that he knew I was something special when we met.
I was getting ready for my summer graduate studies abroad in 2019. Gabe and I were in the process of selling his house and buying our dream home to renovate in Gruene, TX. I was so excited to travel to Estonia and Finland but terrified of the work ahead of me. Gabe supported me and my studies. There often times when I needed to stay in to study. Gabe an I spoke almost every day while I was abroad. The time difference was difficult to coordinate. On my plane ride back home, I remember sitting on the runway and I got a message at 2:00am (Gabe’s time). He said he had a bad dream and had not heard from me. I didn’t message him because I didn’t want to wake him. The day before he had just closed on our Gruene home and sold the River Chase home. He had also worked a long day. I got home the next day around 3:00 AM from the airport. I was speeding the whole way home and finally jumped into bed. I didn’t want to leave his side. I was glued to his hip. The next morning, we woke up and made breakfast together. Gabe seemed busy from what appeared to be work. That was not out of the ordinary for a Sunday. I was getting dressed and could see from the master bedroom into the living room where he kept pacing and had his phone to his ear. We were exited to go to the new home we just bought. When we arrived, we went through every room talking about what we wanted to do to it and ended up in the living room where an awful fireplace was. We both knew we wanted it gone. It was there, that Gabe gave me a small white envelope. From the touch, I sensed a key in it. I thought, "well this is a sweet gesture" but I was living in this house with or without a key. I opened the envelope while I saw him getting down on one knee. I pulled out a small white card that read “Will you marry me?” I immediately asked "What are you doing?" and began crying which set him off crying. I asked, “you want to marry me?” I jumped into his arms. We celebrated down in Gruene at our favorite bar, Mozie’s.
I had gone down to Port Aransas to fix some things at the beach house. I was trying to get back to New Braunfels in time for a softball game but instead I decide to go message and meet Alyssa and skip the baseball game. I messaged her and ask if she wanted to meet for dinner. She agreed and said she was the park and needed some time to get back home to change. I got in my jeep and met her at Willie’s Ice House in New Braunfels, Texas. She was sitting on the curb when I pulled up waiting for me. She was who she said she was from her dating profile. We hardly ate because we spoke the whole time and got to know each other. After we said goodbye I knew I wanted to see her again. I knew she was something special. Instantaneously.
Alyssa was in Finland and I knew I wanted to propose when she got back. I wanted it to be a surprise in our new house. So I had two plans for the day of and I had to go with Plan B. I wanted to go to the house to set a few things up. I thought I would be able to because she might sleep in since she got home really late. This plan did not work out. I was trying to get ahold of Alyssa’s Dad to ask his permission to ask her to marry me. I tried to do this before we left that morning. We made breakfast and then headed to the new house. I hid the ring in my pocket. I put the door key to the new house in the envelope with a note. I waited for the right moment. When we were in the living room I handed her the envelope with the key in it. I told her that I wanted to build this house with her and build our relationship or something like that. I got down on one knee and pulled the ring box out of my pocket. I knew she was completely surprised and caught off guard by her reaction. She cried and asked me “You want to marry, ME?”