We're FINALLY getting married!

Life is a mysterious phenomenon, something that is meant to be can be right in front of you for years & you would never know until it’s time. The first time I saw Melissa could have easy been the first time we both attended Hercules Middle school, but the day I remember was when our brothers played in the same soccer team. While Melissa was helping her father coach the team, I would be kicking the ball back and forth with my father at the same field. One day I was invited to play a little scrimmage with the team, Melissa on one side & I was on the opposite side. Who would have known that I was playing against my future wife. Melissa and I had quite a few moments like this. Where we interacted for a very brief moment but never truly became friends. A few weeks, maybe months passed & one day at school our mutual friends played soccer during lunch and Melissa approached me to spark a conversation about our brothers being on the same team. Which I responded in a very obnoxious way which Melissa took personally and never spoke to me again for a while who would have known that my future wife and I had our first verbal interaction. It took a few years until Melissa and I spoke again. It wasn’t until high school when Melissa and I had our next interaction. While Melissa was waiting at the Hercules High School clock tower after school I walked up to her & asked her to sign a yearbook. After a few moments & a brief conversation about what to write in it, we went our separate ways and didn’t speak again for a few months. In our final interaction all it took was some rain & an umbrella that we shared. Who would have known that I was sharing an umbrella with my future wife. Then after that night we didn’t speak again until a lie brought us together officially. In 2013 our mutual friend we had lied to me and told me that Melissa thought I was cute, I later found out that it was not true. So I told her to tell Melissa that I thought the same about her & the rest is history.

On a glorious fall evening in 2005, Melissa met Rafael, for the first time at their brother’s soccer practice. Although Melissa did not know it at the time, she would one-day fall head over heels over Rafael. After 7 years of Melissa and Rafael not speaking to each other, a mutual friend lied to them regarding their interest they had for one another. This later resulted in Rafael sliding into Melissa’s DMs and asking her out on a movie date, a week before Melissa graduated high school. After 2 marvelous months of Rafael and Melissa dating. Rafael made it official and asked Melissa to be his girlfriend on August 18, 2013. And their interest flourished into eternal love.

The day of the proposal was on April 20th, 2019 in San Francisco at around 8:00PM. That day was going to be a regular date night, nothing extraordinary and life changing was going to happen that day. The decision came after a nap I took around 6:30 PM, what made me come to the conclusion was a dream. In that dream it played like a movie, I saw our relationship grow throughout the years starting at an engagement, and the dream ended with me and her sitting down at a very old age. When I woke up I realized I couldn’t go one more day being this wonderful womens boyfriend, I wanted to be much more, so I had to think of a plan. Melissa is a very smart woman, if I dressed in fancy attire she would realize that something is going to happen. So I called around to fancy restaurants and explained my situation and one restaurant allowed me to make a same day reservation. Then I had to think of an excuse to throw Melissa off, so I told her we were going to a wine bar. When I had all that set up I grabbed the engagement ring that I had since January of 2019 and when to pick her up. Once I picked her up she immediately reacted to my choice of clothes, since I don't dress up that often. So I had to throw her off her game, so unfortunately I had to argue with her a little bit, just enough for her to be thrown off where I was going. When we were dating, San Francisco was where most of our big dates took place. I felt it fitting that we end our dating journey in the place it started, in San Francisco on a bridge that symbolized us crossing into our new path in life as husband and wife. Once we got there Melissa was confused, because she couldn't find the wine bar. Then I believe after I started nervously saying bridge facts she got the hint. So once I ran out of bridge facts, I got down on one knee and asked the wonderful, beautiful, caring, amazing woman, will you marry me. The rest is history.

On a cloudy Saturday afternoon on April of 2019, Rafael and Melissa began their usual date night planning process of deciding what movie to watch. However, to Melissa's surprise 1 hour before their supposed movie date, Rafael informs Melissa that their plans have changed and will now be going to a Wine Bar in San Francisco with their friends. Melissa was surprised at their change of plans but did not question it because she has been wanting to go to a Wine bar for weeks. Melissa unknowingly gets ready and meets her soon to be handsome fiancé at her front door. Melissa noticed Rafael was dressed spiffy, and his Camaro was freshly cleaned. However, she did not think much of it because she assumed the Wine bar had a dress code, and his car needed a washed. As they drove to San Francisco, Melissa continuously asked Rafael what the Wine bar's name was so she could see how the inside looked. But Rafael did not budge. As Rafael parked his car in the Golden Gates bridge parking lot, Melissa proceeded to put on her lipstick while asking unknowingly, "where's the wine bar?" (Melissa has only been to Golden gate bridge once before April 20, 2019, and that was many years ago.) Rafael then stated we were going to first admire the structure of the suspension bridge. As they walked to the edge to look at the bridge, Rafael stated facts regarding the Golden Gate Bridge history. Then Rafael transitioned to stating heartfelt loving words about their relationship. And next, he proceeded to go onto one knee. However, Melissa assumed he was going to tie his shoe and looked away toward the bridge. A moment later, Melissa turned her head back to Rafael and noticed he was on one knee and stating "Will you marry me?" Melissa in shock and processing what had just happened, finally said, "YES!" Melissa and Rafael both excited to celebrate their engagement went to eat at 5A5 Steak Lounge, where they enjoyed their first lovely meal as an engaged couple!