09.27.25.

Some love stories start with a spark—ours started with a snapped snowboard strap. Back in 2016, I was out snowboarding with friends when, mid-run, my strap completely broke. Just my luck. While everyone else kept riding, Eliseo stayed behind to help me fix it. At the time, I didn’t think much of it—just a kind guy lending a hand. But looking back, that moment says so much about who he is. Steady, patient, always there when I need him. Almost ten years later, that feeling hasn’t changed. We’ve been through so much together—college, big moves, late-night talks about the future, and plenty of life’s unexpected twists. We’ve grown as individuals, but more importantly, we’ve grown as a team. Now, we’re getting ready to take the next step—surrounded by the people we love most. And to think… it all started with a broken snowboard.

Christmas morning has always been special, but this one was different—it was the day our forever started. We were running late for church (as usual), but Eliseo insisted we take a quick walk around the Grado at St. Theresa Catholic Church. I didn’t think much of it—honestly, I figured he just wanted to check out the cement (classic Eliseo, haha). So, we walked the whole circle, talking like any other day, and when we got back to where we started, he suddenly stopped. “Wait a second,” he said, turning to me with that look in his eyes. Then, he told me how beautiful I looked, and before I could even process what was happening, he was down on one knee, asking me to marry him. Cue the tears—so many happy tears. I could barely get the word “yes” out through all the emotions. And as if God himself was celebrating with us, the church bells rang at that exact moment. He stood up, we hugged, we kissed, and just like that, we were engaged. But before telling anyone, we had one stop to make. After church, we went straight to Nonno and Nonna’s grave—because they had to be the first to know. That moment, standing there together, sharing our joy with them, made it all even more special. It was the perfect beginning to the next chapter of our lives.