I met David in the sunny state of New Mexico while visiting my sister and her husband. He was just a guy in the Air force, just looking for real friends and I was just a girl not wanting to fall in love. My sister wanted me to meet their good friend David - She was plotting our romance even though we both individually told her we weren’t interested. Of course when I met him I played right into her plan. He was handsomer than I realized, standing out in the balcony of their two story apartment, dressed in his uniform, his brown eyes twinkled when they saw me walking up. I looked completely haggard after hardly sleeping and flying down from Washington state where I was born and raised. But he didn’t seem to notice. He seemed excited to meet me and as he reached for my hand he said one of the strangest things that we both still laugh about today “Shakes first!” I remember thinking to myself… “what do you think is next?” but his smile was friendly. His eyes were warm and I was intrigued.

He came over that evening. We had dinner together with my sister and husband, watched a comedian and did a puzzle (yep that’s what people did back in the day!). Even after my sister and husband went to bed he stayed and we talked late into the night. From that moment on we were inseparable. What started as just an honest friendship was growing into something more but both of us were too stubborn to admit it and I was only visiting for a couple weeks. I had been in a long hard relationship before this and I told myself that I would NOT pursue this guy. If he wanted to be more than friends he would just have to come out and say it and I wasn’t even going to think about it unless we were both serious. No spring flings. No messing around. I had enough of all that.

I will never forget the night he told me that he loved me. He was singing a Spanish lullaby to me, telling me about how his mom used to sing it to him (Smooth Puerto Rican man!) He reached out and started running his fingers through my hair and I was so drawn in. The tension between us was thick and I knew he was serious. This guy was not messing around. He was looking at me with those bold brown eyes. Then he proceeded to tell me that he wanted to pursue me, seriously pursue me. He told me loved me, and he didn’t need an answer from me. He would love me regardless. And me being the mature woman I was just sat there in stunned silence staring at him. Maybe I thanked him, I don’t know, but I didn’t tell him my thoughts. He waited for my answer. I was heading back home very soon. I finally overcame my lack of courage and told him my feelings too. A couple days later I flew home.

As soon as I got home to Washington David called my dad and asked his permission to date me with the intention of marriage. We’re old fashioned like that, I know! My dad gave his blessing. David went out and bought a ring. A month later he flew up to visit and proposed to me and I said YES! Those couple weeks we had together in person were so so sweet. We planned our wedding for 3 months later in September and David went back to NM where he was stationed in the Air force. My family was completely supportive even with the nature of our short engagement and that meant so much to me. When September came I was SO nervous, I mean I had only spent a total of a month in person with the man I was about to marry! But I had never felt more sure or at peace about anything in my life. We said our vows that day and never looked back. 14 years later and I think I love him more now than I ever did then.