Our story began on December 23, 2017, at a bar called The Little Easy. When I walked into this bar, I remember seeing Deana on the dancefloor, surrounded by friends, but I swear I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was wearing a sky blue/baby blue – not really good with color names and which is which, it’s just blue to me– dress, her hair curled, but not too curled, it still flowed down, borderline wavy. She had on some beige heels with a dark blue silk jacket. I literally stopped my friends and I when we walked in and said “I’m talking to her tonight.” And I did, talk to her. I asked one of her friends “Hey what’s your friends deal, is she here with someone tonight?” To my mortification this friend replies with “oh you mean my COUSIN?” I tell you the look on my face when he said cousin can only be explained as the same look you would get if you show up to a presentation you’re making only to realize last second that you left your PowerPoint at home and you memorized nothing. I mean I just wanted to run. I could not fathom meeting the family on DAY ONE. DAY ONE!! But as quickly as I reacted to that he pulls Dee over and sits her next to me. He says “Dee, this is Francisco, Francisco, this is Dee. You’re welcome.” And since then, I’ve regretted nothing. She has come to be my best friend, my psychologist, my teacher, my baker, my confidant, my everything.

I can tell you every moment of this night as if it were my favorite movie, but i'll save a few of the details in case you don't like to read. Swearing off of men only a few months prior, I was having the best night of my life December 22, 2017. I kid you not, every second of that night, with the dozen or so of us, replays in my mind as a slow-motion montage: a group of beautiful men and women throwing their heads back laughing, dancing, and singing their hearts out to the best throwback songs. We were celebrating a cousin's 21st birthday at a bar called "The Little Easy," and it has easily become one of my top 3 best days of my life. Time passes and we buy more drinks, dance to more songs, laugh at more memories. Most of the group then find a line of stools to take a break on while a few of us keep dancing. Mid dance I lose my balance as my arm is yanked by my older cousin Anthony, and I find myself in front of this beautiful man that checks all of my boxes. He looks at me with these big, warm, brown eyes and smiles. Anthony says "Deanna this is Francisco, Francisco this is Deanna. You're welcome." As my cousin vanishes behind us, I nervously laugh and shake his hand. I am so thankful Francisco drank that night because I said so much random, awkward things. Speaking of awkward, 2 minutes into meeting me, Francisco ended up meeting half a dozen cousins. Yeah, I like his story better too.