My sweet friend Marianne convinced me to try something new. She said God had someone destined for me. Rob's son wanted his dad to find love. We were both new to this whole thing. We met online, soon after, and talked on the phone every day for a week. We talked about our kids, music, our big cities, our families, culture, cartoons and so much more. We shared so many similarities and quickly became good friends. We decided to meet in person. I wanted to meet the guy who had become my friend. I was not looking for a relationship, but we hit it off. He came to Greenville and we met up at Brazwells. Though it was weird at first, we talked and soon felt comfortable. We left to meet with Belinda at the Parkway Pub. Poor Rob was so out of his element but he was such a good sport. We hung out for a while and decided to head back so Rob could hit the road back to Asheville. We got back to downtown and decided to go for a little walk to Falls Park so we could talk without loud music or busy atmosphere. We sat by the falls and shared a lot with each other. By this time, we had spent about 6-7 hrs together. Rob was kind of quiet and so sweet. He seemed shy and reserved. I was talking about my love for ocean animals and how much Elias loved sharks and I loved whales. Rob asked me for a kiss and I offered my cheek. He laughed and did just that. I suddenly became a young teenage girl and blushed when he grabbed by chin and gave me a sweet peck. We clearly liked each other and enjoyed each other's company. The next day, we talked for a while and expressed our interest to see each other again. We made plans to see each other again on Sunday near Hendersonville. Rob took me to downtown Hendersonville and we went for a walk. We were hand in hand and I felt so safe with my hand in his. We went for some wine at a local winery and I headed home. From that day forward, we saw each other 1-2 times a week and talked every single day. Three and 1/2 weeks later, Rob invites me to meet him in Travelers Rest. We went for a walk and ended up in a gazeebo. Rob seemed nervous; he had something on his mind. After a lot of conversation and some questions, Rob said, "will you be my girlfriend?" We have not been the same since.

Fast forward 3 yrs later. It is our anniversary and we decided to keep it simple and just visit "our" spot; the Lake Lure area. We went for a stroll in the beautiful and memorable flower garden. It was here that Rob dropped on one knee, opened the heart shaped box with a little bright light shining right on the ring he perfectly chose for me. Rob asked me to marry him. I was in awe and the world stood still for that moment. I asked about the kids and he told me they knew and we're good with it all. I was blown away and I said yes. Elisa said yes to her Beast in the most perfect setting for our most fairytale type relationship.