we’re getting married!

It was 2010. Tangled ended on the big screen, Justin Bieber just released "Baby", you couldn't listen to the radio without Bruno Mars telling someone they're amazing just the way they are, and LA Lakers defeated Boston Celtics in a dramatic 7-game Finals series, making Kobe Bryant the Finals MVP. That same year, Marquis and Cindy become schoolmates in high school. That was it. That was all they had in common. See, he was kind of an extrovert. He had different set of friend groups and often stayed up until wee hours of the morning yelling "GG" in computer shops. He was habitually late to class, too, and would recite once so that he could make an early escape. She, on the other hand, had only a handful of friends. She was never late, and you'd frequently see her in the Guidance Office hanging out with her friends or exchanging review notes. She was a good student, but she was too shy. She had a crush on him first (for like a week). Him... not so much. And this was in high school. College came, and the two got in the same section. At first, it was just the usual—familiar faces in a new setting. But little by little, something shifted. Marquis started to notice her more than before. The way she would quietly laugh at her friends’ jokes, the way she always seemed prepared for class, the way her presence felt grounding. He’d catch himself stealing glances in her direction, hoping their eyes might meet, though he’d quickly look away if they did. It wasn’t the kind of interest you could explain, but the kind that grew slowly, in between lectures, group projects, and those small, everyday moments that didn’t feel so small anymore. Near the second-year summer class, the two frequently joined a volleyball game with classmates. After many games and sets, he got the courage and started messaging her. Was she shocked? Definitely. Was he silently thrilled? Absolutely. Was it a sign of things to come? Without a doubt. What began as casual messages soon turned into conversations that stretched long past midnight. They talked about anything and everything—class deadlines, random jokes, favorite songs, what next movie to watch, even little details about their days. It didn’t matter what the topic was; what mattered was that neither wanted the conversation to end. Fast forward to June of 2016, when he officially asked her out on a date. They got Jollibee’s and watched Me Before You. Spoiler alert: it was one hell of a first date. From then on, they were inseparable—sharing meals, study sessions, and countless inside jokes that only made sense to the two of them. What started with stolen glances in the classroom grew into a relationship built on late-night talks, laughter, and the comfort of knowing they had finally found someone who felt like home. A graduation, several jobs, thousand of Friends and How I Met Your Mother episodes, countless of beach trips, hundreds of restaurant visited, quite a few trips out of the country (one was in Canada when he asked her to marry him), 10 birthdays, and 8 anniversaries later, Marquis and Cindy are finally tying the knot and promising to spend one lifetime together. And they'd love for you to be part of it.