Our adventure continues…

We were in the same class sure but before we exchanged words for the first time, we exchanged a “look”. I was with my brother we were on our way to pick up some meat to grill but stopped by the Circle K on Glendale and Litchfield Rd to put gas. I remember my brother asking me to jump in the back of the truck to do something. I noticed a black Hummer pull up and there he was the guy from my class walking towards the door with a group of guys, the first look from him was a glance and then he looked again with a smile in his eyes, time stopped. That look has stuck with me.

We talked in math class at Estrella Mountain Community College- the least favored subject of all time. He was wearing his blue/purple volcum shirt with his jansport backpack that he wore all the way to his neck and sat in the middle section desk closest to the door. I of course sat infront of the whiteboard like a “teachers pet” is what Carlos would refer it as. I could never remeber our teachers name - I just referred her to Ms. B. Our teacher assigned us to a group project and we coincidently happened to be in the same group- this took place a week before Thanksgiving break, where we then exchanged numbers and emails. He sent the first text (made the first move) while I was at the mall preparing for my families Thanksgiving trip in Colorado, he actually helped me pick out the boots over the phone. While in Colorado he sent me another message and I let him know where I was, first time I heard his sarcasm. He didnt believe I was in Colorado because I had a crappy phone service (cricket) to be exact, he thought I was lying to him even though I sent him a picture of us driving in a snow storm. When we came back- our group turned to just the two of us in the library working on our projects and from there we became friends

When Carlos and I met he had a girlfriend and I was also talking to someone at the time who Carlos also knew about. I never saw harm in talking to Carlos it was just friendly chat that just flowed naturally. He was that football player looking guy and I was well the nerd, well that’s how I saw it anyway. One day as I was trying to walk out of class he blocked the door knowing there were others trying to walk out and asked me, “what, I don’t get a hug?“ I looked up to him with a skeptical face and gave him a side hug, and honestly we never hugged before that if I remember correctly, I was a bit caught off guard but his embrace was more pulling me close and it felt a lot more than just a friend hug but I didn’t say anything and let it be. After that we would start taking our breaks together and pretty much just started spending more time together for a year.

We didn’t see each other throughout fall/winter break- we would only see each other through school. I didn’t even know if he still attended the anymore, I don’t remember who texted who first only that he let me know he was in the college gym. In my mind, “of course he is”. So, I walked in and he was doing his set of pull ups. Once he saw me, he stopped to give me a hug. He looked at my hair since it grew out from when we last saw each other. He touched my hair and said he liked it while looking into my eyes with a smile. He told me he was going to freshen up and he’d meet me afterwards. We caught up with everything that happened during break, but our conversations were as if we never stopped talking.

What can I say about Don Leo (dad). He hardly smiled when it came to his daughters bringing boys home to meet him. When Carlos tried to talk to him the first time, there was a test to be given. If he wanted to exchange words with him about his daughter, he’d have to pass this test first and impress him. Little did my dad know that God had found someone to pass his test. My dad asked Carlos, “Carlos do you like chilis?” Carlos smirked, Carlos responded with a “meh and a yes nod”. My dad normally went for jalapeños (he tested my friends boyfriend once when they came over, he went to the restroom and came out with watery eyes and apparently didn’t wash his hands BEFORE using the restroom, my friend and I laughed at his walk, dad wasn’t impressed), literally didn’t talk to him. With Carlos, dad must have seen something in him to want to bring out an habanero, no milk, no, water, no meal, just an habanero, at this point my dad has not exchanged other words with Carlos other than “do you like chili’s.” I was on the side trying to avoid my dad seeing me rolling my eyes in annoyance, you never rolled your eyes at Don Leo. The moment came where Carlos would have to impress my dad, Carlos didn’t just take a small bite of the habanero, he took the whole thing- I smacked my forehead (what are you thinking?)- Carlos was looking straight at my dad, “what else you do have?“ My dad shook his hand and invited him to sit at the dining table to talk. To say my dad liked Carlos was an understatement, my dad saw something in him and we received his blessing. In early 2011, Carlos asked my dad for my hand in marriage, I was upstairs with my mom when they were talking downstairs (I wasn’t pregnant at the time). We were to plan a large event with our families, life had other plans - dad would get the news of stage 4 cancer, and I’d be bringing a handsome baby boy into the world. Don Leo (dad) saw us in our 1 bedroom/ 1 bathroom apartment with a marriage certificate, telling Carlos and I how proud he was of us and he’d be overjoyed to see his baby girl having her dream wedding with the man he gave his blessing to.