Arjay and Maria met as classmates at Carson High School in 2005, but it wasn’t until 2007 when they started getting closer. From the beginning of 2007, the two started hanging out during their classes, during lunch, and after school, and they would talk all night on the phone or through AOL instant messenger. During this time, their feelings towards one another started growing. In June of that year, Maria’s family decided to move to Rancho Cucamonga since her dad’s work was closer to Rancho compared to Carson. The day before Maria left, her and Arjay spent the day together at Redondo Beach, wondering how Maria’s move to Rancho would affect their friendship. While opening up to each other, Arjay revealed his crush towards Maria, asked her out, and their long-distance relationship developed. For the past twelve years, they remained patient, seeing each other once or twice a month at first, then eventually seeing each other every weekend. Arjay knew it was time to take the next step. So, on March 1, 2019, Arjay got his family and Maria’s family together by setting up a “surprise” birthday dinner for himself. As it turned out, the surprise was for Maria. When Arjay arrived, he popped the question. Maria was speechless, almost literally, as she could barely mouth the word “yes.” The rest is history.