5:30 PM

Setting: Barbara Goleman High School, P.E. Class. Young Rachel Dominguez is sitting alone on the bleachers playing Bob's Journey on her Sidekick while her friends gather their stuff from the court and locker room. A young Javier Ramirez walks up to her and asks: "You're Rachel right?" Rachel, now wary of a stranger approaching her and being a shy sophomore replies a simple, yet confused: "Yes...?". Young Javier sits next to her without saying another word while Rachel stares at him waiting for an explanation or introduction. Neither came. The class ends they both walk down the bleachers and out the gym doors. Rachel's friends wait outside, they high five the stranger and ask if we've already met. Rachel: "This weirdo...? No. But he seems to know who I am..." Laughter follows and then an explanation: Javier was a friend from another school. He was bored of his routine and wanted to do something rebellious... SKIP! (to another school...?) He had been told to meet them in the gym for first period, that he should find and sit with other friend, Rachel, who would be in the bleachers playing on her phone. No one bothered to let Rachel know that this person was coming. They became quick friends and spoke often.

Their first date wasn't even a real one! Javier noticed that they had never spent time out alone, but they spoke practically every day. He invited Rachel out to hang out and watch a movie with him in Main Street. Once she agreed he said "Great! It's a date!" which unnerved Rachel who had never been on a date before and begged him to stop calling it that. It was just too friends watching a movie and friends don't go on dates! She didn't want to give him the wrong idea... He continued to tease her even through the night when they hung out, making fun of her jean skirt and eye liner. By the end of the night Javier said "This was fun! We should do it for real one day! What do you say? 23 work for you?". Who knew then that it was more than a passing remark.

I wish I could tell you that a friendship evolved into more but they remained just platonic friend who talked often and giving the other advise (Javier talked Rachel through her first date and first kiss, and she woykd give him females point of view when he was having a rough time wirh hus girlfriend-s). They lost touch shortly after graduation when Javier gained an internship at Disney and moved to Orlando. At the end of the internship, Javier found himself back in their home town, reuniting with friends. He invited a bunch of them to the beach. Rachel was in a "Yes" phase and agreed to meet and go with a bunch of strangers to the beach. Their first encounter after years of not speaking was not awkward. They became instant friends again and shared many laughs, going on more and more outings both in groups and alone. Javier even used Rachel to make another girl jealous once.

Feelings grew and the couple explored this new phase together. They shared their first kiss after Rachel braved it and texted him "Are you gonna make a move or am I?" during a Flyleaf concert, sharing their first kiss later that night. This marked the beginning of their official relationship on Earth Day. Things progressed naturally and the two had to have the awkward "what are we?" Conversation... This lead to Javier calling Rachel in the early morning and yelling througgt the phone "YOU'RE MY GIRLFRIEND WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!... I mean, I hope you want to be, you do have a choice..." After that, thet continued to go to concerts, travel, and making more memories and friends together.

It was during these travels that Javier intended to propose, once in Venice he lured her into a secluded area on their last night there and was getting ready to pop the question when a rat ran across the alley forcing Rachel to run away. Their last night in Rome he tried again in the Trevi Fountain but someone beat him to it, proposing seconds before he could. He attempted one more time in Pennsylvanian during a joint family ski trip but couldn't find a moment that felt right. The moment finally came when he lit up his whole living room with candles and thoughtful little gifts. In the center of it all was a Tri-Wizard Cup (from Harry Potter) with a singed paper inside. The paper said "Marry me?" with a ring inside. She said yes, they went out had champagne and the rest is a blur... We hope to continue writing this time line with those of you currently reading this unwritten chapter. We made it through 2020 and are finally able to cross this line with our friends and family! with much love, Rachel and Javier