The third time's the charm!

We officially met on April 27, 2013. I know this, because it was the last NHL game of the season and the Kings played the Sharks to determine their seeding order in the playoffs. A mutual friend introduced him as Brauny, and I truly thought his name was Ronnie until he friended me on Facebook a few months later. I also say "officially met" because we lived in neighboring dorm buildings, and he had a mohawk and always wore a Ducks jersey. Suffice to say, he was very noticeable in the dining commons. I always thought he was cute, and he was nice enough to say hi whenever he saw me after we met. We didn't start talking until we were in a fantasy hockey league, and we started changing our team names to make fun of each other everyday. I also started going to UC Davis Ice Hockey games that season, and we would talk after every game. My housemate at the time knew that I thought he was cute and kind, and she coached me through Facebook messaging him. We ended up at the same Halloween party, and he ended up making out with someone else. I was bummed, but I somehow didn't give up, and I invited him to a friend's birthday party a month later. There, we ended up talking for hours, and I put my number into his phone. We went on a date to the Silo after a few weeks of nonstop texting, and I was infatuated. Over winter break, he admitted he had a crush on me and asked if I would be interested in dating him when we returned to Davis. For our first date, we went to Dumpling House. A few months later, we had said I love you to each other and adopted two cats and a dog together. A few years later, he asked me to marry him, and I said yes. The rest, as they say, is history (will be history?).

We had met before to watch a hockey game with some friends, but I started talking to Lamia at a friend’s gathering in Fall 2013. I can’t remember who started the conversation but before long we were texting nonstop. We'd be chatting late at night about everything from what kinds of food we liked to what we were missing the next morning by sleeping. This was the Fall; by Winter of 2013-14 we began “going out” officially. From then on, our relationship rocketed skyward. We started going everywhere together, doing everything together. We had a Chinese spot that we went to nearly everyday for dinner. We watched movies, shows, hockey (a lot of hockey), went to parties; we even started taking a class together here and there. The connection was seamless. I found someone to make me whole. Lamia became the person I wanted to be around all the time. I finally knew what love could mean for a person. The pets came all at once. Lamia adopted Layla, and I adopted Nikki a week later (out of jealousy). Abby came along two months later, and our animal family was complete. However, Nikki being completely insane, we couldn’t figure out the logistics of moving in together for a while. We drove to each other's place daily and it was worth it, because seeing Lamia always improved my day. It could have been wet and raining, and I would think I had just failed some test, and then I’d see Lamia and forget about my problems. Once we did get the pet logistics solved, we moved in together for the first time. Being able to effortlessly see Lamia day in and day out without having to trek across town was a whole new revelation in itself. Living together in that first dilapidated old house was just pure joy. Having all the animals nearby, as well as Lamia, gave me all the satisfaction I needed to succeed in my day. Living here from 2016-2018 also coincided with the part of our relationship where we began to see the future of us. It was this time when I knew that our marriage was inevitable.

After finally finishing my Master's, it was just a matter of time before the moment would come. Then one day, it did. I told Alex, Lamia’s best friend, that the ring was purchased, and we hatched a plan. She would take her to a scenic spot for a random photo shoot (so that Lamia would prepare herself accordingly) and I would show up, ring and Nikki in hand. Nikki decided not to be photogenic, but I popped the question regardless. And here we are on zola.com!