We're getting married!

Jamie and I first met Senior year of high school back in 2010. He was the classic "bad" boy and I was deemed the "good" girl. Our young romance only lasted 5 months before we parted ways, but we still stayed connected through social media & every blue moon or so, we'd exchange a few words. Picture It: Erin, April 2017. I had just ended a toxic 3 year relationship & while I was planning my next moves, Jamie messaged me. I remember laughing at the absurd timing and thinking to myself that I would not be dating anytime soon, if ever again. We continued to chat through social for over a month & then decided to meet up. The first night we saw each other, he had just gotten off of work & I was already in my pjs. We sat out on the driveway & talked all night sharing stories from the last 7 years. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to just talk & laugh together until the sun rose. He tried to kiss me right before leaving, but I wouldn't allow it. I kissed him on the cheek & said goodbye. Soon after our hang out, I told him I needed space to heal. Once I had started to settle into my new life, I invited him over to my house. We picked up where we left off & our friendship blossomed into a 3 year relationship. Giving him a chance was the best decision I've ever made. 😁

Jamie sincerely tries to surprise me, but so far, hasn't succeeded. Our proposal story is one of those times. We were planning a date to Clarksville to enjoy the Christmas lights by the river, but the day we planned to go it was uncomfortably wet & frigid. I tried to convince him to raincheck, but he insisted that we needed this date. On the drive up, he was oddly quiet & wasn't on his phone which only strengthened my suspicion that it was coming... Ice cold drizzle pelted us as we walked the trail. Once we passed through my favorite part, the light tunnel, I asked to turn around & go back. I was determined to move my short legs into overdrive so I could get out of the cold, but then Jamie jerked my hand back & got down on one knee. All I heard was "Mariana...". The intense adrenaline rushing through me made time stand still & all I could think is that this was the moment I'd been waiting/praying for... Of course I said, "YES!" & we rushed back towards the car. After we got in the car & I could feel my face again, I admitted that I didn't hear anything but my name & asked him to repeat his proposal. He smiled, repeated it & then took me out to Red Lobster to celebrate. It wasn't a fairytale surprise.... it wasn't ideal... And it most certainly wasn't meticulously planned, but it was perfect for us. He could've waited til all circumstances lined up, but he chose to take a leap of faith because he knew he wanted me as his life partner, come freezing rain or high water. It was perfect, because it was him. ♡