We have always been around each other. Never formally introduced but shared common friends. It was my birthday party on a party bus when a common friend brought him as guest. It was then that we were formally introduced. Since then we became official friends and saw each other in the neighborhood.

We never really became close until one summer afternoon, I had locked myself outside my apartment while doing laundry, with no phone or wallet. I walked all the way to my parents’ house hoping to get my spare, but alas no one was home. Tried Mai but also no one was home. As I wandred thinking of what next to do, I ended up seeing Melan walking down his block with a friend we both knew. I explained my situation and decided to make best of the day and hanged out with them in the beautiful weather. About an hour or so later, he offered to help me get back inside my apartment. We walked over to my apartment and using an empty bottle of Downy he got me back inside the apartment. Thankful for his help I offered to get him dinner. A friendship bloomed. The friendship that started that day ultimately grew into the relationship we have today.

QUICK VERSION: He surprised me with a romantic beach side dinner in St. Lucia where he swept me off my feet with the softest and most unforgettable whisper of “Will you marry me?” I cried and said "YES!"


LONGER VERSION: Let me start off by saying it was truly unexpected. We share November as our birthday month. And anyone who knows us, we take birthdays very seriously. This particular year Melan was turning 40. He had been talking about how he wanted to celebrate it. (Basically driving me insane with the planning of our birthday vacation). After much discussion we ended up deciding on St. Lucia. It was perfect for our birthday vacation since we both had never been there. Upon arrival he was beyond ridiculous. He went over the top with concierge service and our room. The whole time I just thought it was because it was a milestone birthday for him.

Full disclosure, Melan was and is the romantic one between the two of us. On the day of my birthday, I woke up to breakfast served in bed. He woke up before me and was excited to start the day since he had so much planned. We spent the day in a private cabana swimming and drinking champagne. For dinner he surprised me with a romantic dinner by the beach complete with butler service and a photographer. As we ate, I laughed and giggled about the whole experience. It was truly a “Melan" type dinner. After dessert, he asked if I wanted to open my present pointing behind me to the butler. I turned around excited to see what my present was only to find an empty handed butler. As I turn back to face him he smiles and says happy birthday and places a small box in front of me. Sparkling in its box I looked at him to ask what it was and he says “What do you think it is?” Unable to speak and just frozen, he then proceeds to kneel by my side taking one hand into his. He then asks ever so softly, almost in a secret whisper, “Will you marry me?” Tears rolled faster than thoughts. I was frozen and could not speak. The first coherent sentence I could mutter was to ask if this was real since throughout our entire trip we joked about how everyone thought this was an engagement trip and how funny it would be to tease all our friends and family with an ambiguous hint to an engagement on this trip. When it did finally sink in, I was able to utter “YES” in between the joyful sobs.