It is a bit crazy to think back now. Jerry and I have crossed paths so many times earlier in our lives before coming together. We went to the same middle school but we never had any of the same classes together. We were in the same after school dance team but never spoke to each other We went to different high-schools but coincidentally we were both on our school’s tennis team and we had seen each other at tennis matches but never once played against each other. Fast forward, Jerry and I went to the same community college and happened to be in the same math class (at some point I must have thought why does this guy keep popping up in my life). I sat where I usually sit which is at the front of the class. He sat somewhere in the back. We didn’t talk to each other once that whole quarter UNTIL the instructor had assigned us to be in the same group for a project. Even then I was still so shy. I didn’t talk directly to him but but I’d talked to our other two girl group mates instead. When that quarter ended I thought that would be the last time I’d see him. As fate would have it, a few weeks later I was walking up the steps outside our gym and he was walking down the steps. No one was around. When our eyes met I believe I panicked—there was no way to avoid him. I think I might have turned bright red. For those who knows Jerry he is so friendly. He of course said hi and I said hi as I was passing. He continued to make conversation. I forgot what we ended up talking about but it ended with him asking me for help with math for the next quarter and I agreed and we exchanged numbers using our Nokia phones (remember those). We never discussed math since that day (Oh he’s smoooooooooth!) A lot has happened since that day. We started dating. I moved to California. We tried having a long distance relationship. We reconnected 13 years later when we were both single and that has led us to where we are today—engaged and ready to spend the rest of our lives together.

I was still living in Orange County at the time, and Jerry and I had been maintaining a long distance relationship for over two years between there and Seattle. My OC friends had planned a trip to Seattle to watch the Seahawks game that weekend, so we decided to coordinate a trip down here together where I would also visit Jerry. Along with the Space Needle, my friends also wanted to visit the Chihuly Garden and Glass Exhibit located at its base. It was a dark and chilly evening. The moon was out. Jerry and I were walking through the garden full of beautiful glass sculptures when I randomly stated out loud, “Wouldn’t this be the perfect place to propose?” He stopped walking and appeared to have an “Uh oh. I’m in trouble” look. I then said jokingly, “I guess you don’t love me enough because you don’t want to marry me.” He just smiled and replied, “That’s not true.“ and continued on. Once we were done walking through the garden, we all proceeded up the elevator to the Space Needle’s observation deck. I walked off on my own for a little bit before bumping into Jerry. We strolled around a little bit more, and then he said, “I can’t believe you would question my love for you,” with this big grin. (People who know him knows that grin.) I said, “Prove it then.” He took the challenge right then and there and kneeled down on one knee asking, “Will you marry me?” I was so shocked that I failed to react right away. As he was opening the box, the ring flew out and almost rolled into a floor vent right next to where I was standing. Apparently, he had walked around the whole day with the box in his pocket, and the ring had slipped out of its holder. I was still cheesing while he dove for it. Luckily my hero saved the ring. I said, “YES!” and we are engaged! ***Special thanks to our friend Joe Kasperick for capturing our special moment that night and for keeping such a tight lip that I didn’t even suspect for one moment something was up.