We first crossed paths in September 2021 at The Bungalow in Santa Monica, not long after Nick had moved to Hermosa Beach. Surrounded by mutual friends, it was only a matter of time before our worlds overlapped. Our very first exchange was… memorable. Nick overheard me mid-phone call arguing with a friend and casually suggested that maybe I shouldn’t be having such an “important conversation” after a few cocktails. I shot him an annoyed look that basically said, “Who are you, and why are you commenting on my life right now?” and then went right back to my phone conversation, and the rest of the night. Over the fall, we continued to run into each other at group hangouts and parties. Then came Halloween. That night, somewhere between costumes, music, and the energy of the party, Nick truly caught my attention - and from there, things took off. What started as friendly overlap within the same circle quickly grew into late-night laughs, beach days, and eventually a love that felt like it had been waiting for us all along. And while Nick may have played it cool at first, it didn’t take long before the “mermaid hippie” had him hooked. After all, resistance is futile when you’re up against ocean magic... so eventually he gave in and admitted what I already knew: he couldn’t live without me :)