We were in the same Music Fundamentals class at Hartnell Community College in the fall of 2013. We never really talked. I (Bessie) always sat in the corner that was furthest from the door. Mr. Ettinger would constantly pick on me to play notes on the piano. Arturo always sat behind me with his friend Julian. One day they both just stopped coming to class, and I noticed because the classroom was a lot quieter. As time passed our friend Alex who we also met in that class had kept insisting he and I grab coffee and play music. I’m a singer and Alex is a rapper. I kept putting it off. After some time Arturo came back to class and inched his chair closer to mine and Alex’s chair and said something along the lines of, “hey I’ve been gone for some time, do you mind helping me catch up?” So the three of us sat together and went over class stuff. Alex asked Arturo if he played any instruments and he said “yeah the guitar” so Alex INSISTED we make a song together! Before I knew it, the three of us were hanging out recording a song together. We were constantly in a group chat together. Eventually I took the iniciative to text Arturo in our own message. And that is basically the story of how we met

On this date, Arturo asked me to be his girlfriend. I remember he and I had been talking on the phone a few weeks back and he asked me “ do you wanna go to a Giants game they’re playing the Rockies and it’s firework night” and I was pretty excited because I hadn’t gone to a game that season. So I said yes! It was on a Friday before spring break and I still had class that day. So Arturo said he would get things ready and we would leave after I was done with class. So I went home grabbed my jersey and let him know I was ready. He picked me up, he had an ice chest with Gatorade, water bottles and sandwiches he had made. He told me “you know what I forgot something at my house, do you mind if we swing by?” I said sure. So we went to his house and he was really taking his time. He then calls me in and apologizes. I said no worries and he calls me into the kitchen and there were tulips and a stuffed animal that had a little baseball outfit on and he asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend. I was speechless, but of course said yes! Then we drove up to SF and watched the Giants win and stayed for the firework night! We came home after that and he dropped me off. He had to used the bathroom so we went into my house and we just started talking. We talked the whole night, we didn’t sleep that nignt. We had ice cream and just talked and watched some movies. Since he was a little league coach he had a game next morning. He went home, showered then picked me up to go to the game. April 11th was an amazing day

He proposed on my birthday! Every year he asks what I want for my birthday and every year I tell him I don’t want anything. Let’s just say my previous birthdays havent been great. This year was different though. I had requested to be off on my birthday but I figured, what am I going to do at home? So i went to work for a half day. My coworkers/friends said we wede going out to lunch, I really wanted to invite Arturo and I told him and he had said okay I’ll meet you there. I said okay but I really wanted him to pick me up from work but he said something came up at work. So we left for lunch, I was sitting there when he shows up with a dozen long stem roses and a card. The card read “Wherever you are, that’s where my heart is. You are my truest friend, my only love and the best part of my life and today I am celebrating the amazing woman that you are and the beautiful love we share, Happy Birthday! I love you because of your support, encouragment and beauty, now turn around” and I turned and he was down on one knee. It was magical!!💕 honestly this was the best birthday I’ve had in a while. I was surrounded by people who love and support and who want whats best for me