I'd like to say we met on an island, but we actually met at an Islands Restaurant. I was a server there throughout college and met Nick in 2016 while I was in my senior year at UCLA. A big group of friends would come in every Friday night after the big Dickens meeting while I was working and I would serve their table. One night, Nick walked in with them. I had never seen him before but he caught my eye and I was immediately intrigued. He was cute, but a little rough around the edges. I initially thought he might be trouble, but over the course of the following weeks and months that he would come in, I got to know him a little bit better and came to find that he was actually a very thoughtful, kind, and respectful man - he also made me laugh a lot. With each encounter, the attraction grew, but it would be a couple years until we would actually start dating. I know that God was working on each of us during that time to prepare us for a lifetime of loving, supporting, forgiving, celebrating and honoring each other.

Little did I know that on a regular Friday night fellowship session at Islands, in between plates of chicken tiki tenders and copious amounts of ranch dressing, I would meet the love of my life. I remember it as if it were yesterday. Peering through the morass of empty french fry baskets and spent plates, I locked eyes with the biggest, most beautiful, piercing brown eyes I had ever seen. They penetrated my soul and I fell in love at first sight. However, I was in an odd stage in my life. “Rough around the edges,” as Gaby so lovingly mentioned was an understatement – let’s just say I was in a transitional period. Gaby’s keen eye, however, was able to see through the oversized flannels and Dickies shorts. Also, her Facebook “research” into my sister’s social media revealed I was recently baptized which gave her a glimmer of hope. Although the initial attraction was searing, we let things simmer. This proved to be a wise decision as this time allowed us to cultivate a tremendous friendship which has become the cornerstone of our eternal love.

It was a beautiful Sunday in May that started off like any other. We drove to Malibu for church (shoutout to Waveside) and then got lunch at a cute restaurant nearby. Nick wanted to go to the beach at our usual hangout spot and it was a nice day so I agreed. Once we arrived, I didn't really feel like doing the whole beach thing but Nick insisted on at least taking a short walk on the sand since we were already there. We parked the car and started heading down the beach like we normally do, but about 10 minutes into our walk, I noticed a heart made of roses with a bunch of rose petals on sand beside it set up ahead. I asked Nick what he thought it was and he said "I don't know, let's go see" and grabbed my hand to lead me towards it. At first I thought it was a wedding or a memorial but found it strange that there were no other people nearby. However, as we got closer, I recognized someone we knew - I thought maybe this was just a coincidence. But then I saw a tripod set up nearby and then it all hit me at once. I immediately realized what was happening and froze. I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I couldn't help but burst into tears as Nick led me into the center of the rose petal heart. Around the heart were framed pictures of us from some of our greatest adventures. He got down on one knee, telling me how much he loved me and asked if I would spend my life with him. It was by far the easiest "yes" I have ever said.