I arrived for our date a bit early and grabbed our table. The Sunday night crowd at Eddie V's in downtown Austin, TX is typically lame, but that night the restaurant was buzzing. You could feel it in the air. Something magical was happening. Kayla arrived fashionably late, and when she walked in I was struck by her beauty. She walked right up to me as if we were long lost friends. It was electric from the get-go. That is the only way I can describe it. We went from sharing dinner to an impromptu concert next door at Antone's, then saw Alex Warren. Even though the show was sold out, a quick $20 to the bouncer got us into the show. We have never been apart since that moment. The Proposal Flash forward to January 31, 2026: We went to San Miguel de Allende, MX for my 60th birthday. We had made a reservation at Atrio, which is a roof top restaurant immediately adjacent to the Jardim, which provides unparalleled vistas of the Church at night. It was a full moon. The ambiance was mystical and the feeling that anything is possible permeated the air. After dinner, we began walking home and despite the frigid temperatures and being way past our bedtime, I proposed to Kayla right in front of the Church. That is the story and I am sticking to it. ~ Doug Aldeen