We're Getting Married!

We realized we haven't shared our love story with many of our loved ones yet, so grab a seat. It all began in April of 2021, when we both started working at Starbucks. Our first real interaction happened during onboarding training. Daniel turned to me and asked, "What high school did you go to?" "Hilltop High School," I replied. "Oh gross," he said back. If you know Daniel, you know that’s just his sense of humor...honest, a little bold, but always with a smile. At first, we were just coworkers. Our exchanges were simple, the usual "Hi, how are you?" followed by "I'm good, how are you?" Nothing out of the ordinary, just friendly conversations between shifts. But then something changed. One day, as Daniel was heading out, he paused and nervously asked, "Want to go grab coffee?" "Yeah, I’m down!" I replied, and thought to myself "Coffee? When we literally work at a coffee shop?". Our first date was simple but perfect. We grabbed coffee, went to the beach, and finished with lunch at Chick-fil-A. We talked, we laughed, and the conversation flowed so easily. It should have been the start of something amazing, but instead, I did something unexpected. I friend zoned him. I know, not exactly a fairytale ending. People always ask why I did that, and honestly? I wasn’t ready for someone so genuinely kind, someone so effortlessly himself. We settled into friendship...or at least I did. We kept talking, kept hanging out, and over time, I started to see Daniel differently. His patience, his humor, the way he always seemed to show up when I needed someone, it all became impossible to ignore. A year later, I finally got the courage to ask him if he wanted to hang out again. This time, I wanted to see if there was something real. And there was. From that moment, everything changed. Daniel had been patient, letting me figure out my feelings at my own pace. And I? I fell a little more in love with him every single day (I still do). Now, here we are. That first awkward question, the hesitant friend zone, and the slow build of something real, it all led to this. Our own kind of happy ending, and we can’t wait to start the next chapter of our story together!

It all started when I met Victoria during orientation on our first day at Starbucks. I remember thinking to myself, “Who is this beautiful girl?” I asked her the usual get-to-know-you questions, just trying to start a conversation. As time went on, we worked different shifts—she usually worked mid-shifts, and I worked nights. Most days, we’d just pass each other with a quick “hi” and “bye.” But every now and then, I’d have a mid-shift too. I’d always check the schedule to see if Victoria was working. If she was, I’d get this mix of excitement and nerves heading into work. Those days gave me more chances to talk to her, and I always looked forward to them. Every time we worked together, I felt this unexplainable connection—like I had known her forever, even though I didn’t. It felt like God was telling me that there was something special about her. As I got to know her more, I found myself growing more and more attracted to her. Eventually, I decided I wanted to ask her out. One day, when we were working the same shift, I told myself, “Just do it.” But I chickened out and left the store while she was still working. I sat in my car for a few minutes, gave myself a little pep talk, and decided to go back in. I walked in and made up a story: “My grandfather wanted a Frappuccino, so I came back to grab one,” I said. She laughed and said, “Oh, haha.” She made the drink, handed it to me, and just as I was about to fumble again, I told myself, “Just do it.” So I asked, “Do you wanna go get coffee sometime?” She smiled and said, “Yes, of course!” I walked out of that Starbucks with a Frappuccino and the biggest smile on my face. Fast forward to date night. I picked her up, and she looked stunning in a hot pink short-sleeve top, jeans, and straight hair. We went to James Coffee, then to Sunset Cliffs—our favorite date spot to this day—and wrapped it up with Chick-fil-A. The date couldn’t have gone better. On my way home, I was grinning, thinking, “This girl is going to be my girlfriend.” Little did I know… she was about to friend-zone me. After such an amazing date, I didn’t see that coming. We went on with our lives, but stayed friends. About six months later, we hung out again with a group of our Starbucks coworkers. We went to Belmont Park and rode the roller coaster. By chance, I ended up sitting next to Victoria. Something felt different. She seemed shy around me—like maybe she liked me this time. After that hangout, we started texting again. This time, it felt different. She was more engaged, and I could tell she was interested. So I asked her out again, but this time for a walk on the beach in Coronado. A few dates later, she told me she was looking for something serious. Shortly after that, we officially started dating. And here we are, about to start another chapter of our lives together.