Once upon a time, at a Halloween party that neither of them planned to remember, fate decided to intervene. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the soft flicker of jack-o’-lanterns. Elteriayah, a little reluctant but bound by a promise to a friend, took the stage. Dressed in a crimson Red Riding Hood costume, she performed with a fire and grace that caught everyone’s attention though she wasn’t quite aware that one particular someone in the crowd was about to change everything. Randy watched her from across the room, captivated not just by the performance, but by a sense of familiarity. She mentioned she was from Chicago, and in that instant, Randy knew he had to speak to her. Perhaps it was the shared streets, the same winds, or just a cosmic pull he couldn’t resist. He imagined she was a little bougie, maybe even a touch emo—but undeniably intriguing. After the music faded, he made his way to her. But it wasn’t easy. Her friend’s eyes followed his every move with a silent warning: stay away. Elteriayah, unaware of the silent drama unfolding, thought Randy was simply proposing a musical collaboration. She was sick, tired, and had only come to the party out of loyalty but as soon as they talked, the world shifted just slightly. Months later, the conversation they started at that party carried them to a studio. It was there, amidst beats and melodies, that they found a new rhythm together. Portillo’s, a taste of Chicago far from home, became their shared sanctuary. They laughed, they bonded, they remembered. The city that had shaped them both now shaped a story that was only theirs. And then, the unexpected happened. Randy showed up at her doorstep with flowers in hand, a gesture so simple yet so powerful. In that moment, something in Elteriayah’s heart changed forever she was in love. Through twists, turns, and obstacles that could have pulled them apart, they held on. They faced life together, stronger with every challenge. What started as a hesitant hello at a Halloween party blossomed into a love story that would endure… far, far beyond anyone’s imagination. And they wrote the rest of their story, side by side, ever after.

After finally locking in and focusing fully on each other, Randy and Elteriayah began to grow closer to God. Slowly, they started to change old habits, letting go of things that weren’t godly. Together, they decided to take a bold step in their faith they would get baptized and commit to abstinence, no longer living in premarital intimacy. As 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 reminds us, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit… therefore honor God with your bodies?” Two months before their baptism, one ordinary evening, Elteriayah came home and they began talking about their goals, their dreams, and the life they wanted together. Out of nowhere, Randy asked, “Why won’t you just marry me right now?” Elteriayah laughed, teasing, “Boy, I don’t feel like playing with you—you not even serious!” But Randy, a little joking but completely sincere, went on to express his heart: how deeply he loved her, how serious he was, how he wasn’t asking to impress the world but to honor God and their relationship. She realized the truth in his words. As they said, if a man truly wants to marry you, he’ll just do it. Randy continued, reminding her that they were about to be baptized together—they couldn’t go back to living the way they used to. Elteriayah agreed, but told him, “If you want to marry me, you have to do it properly on one knee.” And that’s exactly what he did. Kneeling before her, with no ring, Randy asked her to be his wife. In that quiet, sacred moment, Elteriayah said yes. They both laughed and she realized she didn’t need a grand proposal, a public spectacle, or applause from the world she needed this: a man of God, serious in his love, asking with a heart full of faith and devotion. As Matthew 6:6 reminds us, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” They kept their engagement private because it made sense to them and God—it didn’t have to make sense to everybody else. After that, they began planning their life together. They got baptized, then married, and for a while, they cherished their peace before letting the world in. They survived their first year of marriage, navigating obstacles, learning, and growing stronger. Now, ready to celebrate their love fully with family and friends, they’ve decided to renew their vows. This time, Elteriayah will officially take Randy’s last name, and all their loved ones will witness the love and faith that brought them here.