NEW LOCATION Edwards Mansion 2064 Orange Tree Ln, Redlands, CA 92374

In the Summer of 2014, Luis introduced himself to Des. He noticed she was on a flier for an open mic held on campus at Cal State University, San Bernardino. They were both students at the time, so this was a golden opportunity for Luis. He heard her lovely singing voice before, and just HAD to organize a duet. Des had no knowledge of the event, but responded to Luis because she recognized him from the high school they both attended. One week prior, she recalls seeing him at her place of work, Alfredo’s in San Bernardino. Luis serendipitously had a work party there. Luis and Des acknowledged each other from afar and exchanged undercover smiles. After some electronic conversation in the following weeks, Des agreed to play a few songs with Luis. She had little idea who this man was, but she knew from the get-go he had a charming sense of humor. The two agreed to meet at Luis’ house to practice some songs. She packed up her instruments, put his address in her GPS and as fate would have it, they lived one minute apart. She laughed as she put her car in drive, and then park moments later. They had been neighbors the whole time! Was Luis nervous, clumsy, or both? He tripped over the sofa while they talked face to face for the first time. He was so awestruck at her beauty that his legs and brain were not on the same page. She exuded a sense of confidence and was forward. How could Luis make an impression? How could he fill in the space that the future love of his life had just torn wide open? The answer was to play her a song he himself composed. This is the first time Luis melted Des. When all was said and sung, the nervousness seemingly transcended from his body to hers. From there, a magnetization formed, and they were inseparable. Music was the foundation of their friendship. They shared it, sang it and created it. It kept them vulnerable and learning about one another in deeper ways. After 11 months of pretending they weren’t madly in love with each other, they became an official couple. Their first date was in the sweltering summer of 2015. Luis and his band played their first show at a lounge in Joshua Tree. After the show, Luis and Des parted from the group they were with, and spontaneously decided to spend the night under the stars within the National Park. There they stayed, from sundown to sunup, parked at Hemingway. The hours passed, and the stars travelled from one horizon to the other, though eternity was trapped in the cabin of Luis’ car. The two experienced every emotion there was until sleep grabbed hold of them. One nap and one milkshake in Yucca Valley later, they headed home. This was one of many magical moments to come in the next ten years they would spend together. One of the most magical nights next to the night he proposed on April 14th of 2023. Des and Luis have loved each other deeply for a decade. They have found a home in one another have two beautiful children together. There are so many chapters to their story, and this marriage will mark the beginning of another.

Luis surprised Des with a date night to a beautiful Mexican Cantina on a mountainside, which overlooked the city lights below. The ring was in Luis' front left shirt pocket, and seemed to weigh a thousand pounds. After the couple ate and drank to their heart's content, they departed from the restaurant and pulled off the highway to the first scenic turnout. Luis safely tucked the ring away, and knew he would be returning to it moments later. He was not going to risk dropping the rose gold band into the abyss. Above the couple, deep blue space with a slumbering milky way. Their toes hung over the mountain's edge into the beginning of the sky. Cold air brushed their cheeks as he blanketed her from behind. Luis locked his eyes into hers, and with the headlights from passing cars temporarily illuminating their faces, he asked Des if she would marry him! After an enthusiastic YES, he took her freezing hand and led her down the slope of the vista point. They made their way back to the car where the ring lay nestled in the pocket behind the passenger seat. After helping her into the passenger seat, he got on one knee and presented a sparkling engagement ring. Their eyes were like faucets. They soaked in every breath and every word, snapping pictures and touching cheeks. They proclaimed their endless love for each other. They were vulnerable, spending the next hour talking about their past, how every moment led to this one. Finally, they began the descent home, wiping tears from their eyes while love songs filled the air.