While the sun had already set on the evening, tensions were still high with Edmund as the night culminated in one area and immediately shifted to the next appropriate place. Gas pumps and 24-hour pizza brought together the same masses bickering previously in the club itself. The mood shifted when one party-goer made him lock his gaze onto an innocent bystander in the crowd. As she made her way past the intensity in her wake, she seemed to be floating through the disarray. While she separated herself from the fray, he made the decision to head her way before she left. The approaching portion turned out to be the easiest part of their first encounter. However, as soon as Edmund's eyes met hers, he had forgotten the very ice-breaker he was going to use to initiate a conversation. He was memorized by the fact she wore a grill in her mouth just as he did but soon rounded back to his default line when he arrived at her driver's side door, still ajar. Taking his cue from the still ongoing argument in his background, he remembered his conversation starter at the moment their eyes met, "How are you beautiful, let me apologize for all that back there." They began to converse and learned that this beauty's name was Alyssa, and he somehow missed her around town for years. Finally, he uttered and decided then he had to ask for her number. The rest, inevitably, is history. 😉

The day had been one of multiple locations and outfits, one of her best friends, Chantal Nail-Neylon, came and picked her up on her birthday weekend. All the while insisted on making sure she was presentable more and more as the day grew. Alyssa just went along and figured there was something secretive, and to be honest, she could not have been more suspicious. Still, as they visited more venues, she decided maybe it was her imagination. There was one last stop to make, and as they stopped back by the house, she noticed more and more cars in the driveway! A surprise party! After all, she thought, the celebration was usual with her best friends by her side, but as the gift-giving had started, she saw the room fall silent. She received a bag from Edmund and frantically pulled out the gift paper, only to realize he gave her an empty gift bag. As suspected, she was mad, but as soon as she turned towards Edmund and saw him on one knee, she knew then that this would not be an ordinary birthday party. 😊