We're Getting Married!

We met in Miami Beach at a local restaurant after an evening of being with friends. I came into the restaurant with a friend and heard Richard talking with his friends about something that sounded "technical and smart." At this point, I hadn't even seen Richard but I subconsciously knew he was "The one." After, I decided to ask him for one of his nachos to catch his attention. Richard and I couldn't stop talking. If I felt that there was a time when he may have been trying to get back to his friends, I would throw a little comment in to keep his attention. During our conversation, Richard expressed to me that he was only visiting Miami and lived in Lakeland. Ironically, he and I both had grown up in the Lake Worth area for the majority of our childhood lives (we basically lived next door to each other our entire lives). I remember my heart falling a little out of my chest and thinking to myself, "Ofcourse he doesn't live here." Long story short, we ended up exchanging phone numbers and with a kiss on "each cheek." The next day I decided to "Facetime" Richard and that is when our love and attraction to one another became intentional and futuristic. Richard and I went on our "first official date" two weeks after we met each other. Richard drove down from Lakeland and during our first date he told me he was going to fall in love with me. We did the "long distance thing" for about 5 months (felt like years).Fast forward to February 14, 2019 I moved to Lakeland to be with my future husband.

"Should we just get it?" That is what Richard asked me a few months before our proposal when I tried on my dream engagement ring. The night before Richard proposed to me, we were out in Las Olas, ( where we are getting married) and he jokingly told me to "Take those rings off of your hand." I remember giving him a little side smile and then guiding Richard to the dance floor ("Despacito" was playing). The next morning, we walked down the sandy tiles from the beach house to the ocean. We positioned our items, Richard in a chair and I was laying on a towel on the sand. Richard leaned over... "Do you know where we are?" I responded, "We are where I told you I fell in love with you at." I became a bit disheveled, "Oh my gosh, are you proposing?" I really had never seen Richard so nervous before. I actually thought it was cute. Richard has a beautiful vulnerable side about himself that he doesn't allow everyone to see (one of the many reasons I fell in love with him). On 11.10.19, Richard asked me to marry him and I responded with a certain, "YES." On 11.10.19, Richard made my dream come true with a kiss sealing our commitment to each other (clouds,fluffy,smiley faces).