Claudia > It all began at the end of October 2021, during a night shift at work. We didn’t know it then, but that night would change everything. I kept glancing over at Joel as I was taking care of a difficult patient that kept asking for "more medication" — Joel had already said no earlier that shift. Little did I know, all that looking caught his attention… and that’s how he ended up asking me to write down his number.

Joel > We were both working the night shift, surrounded by the steady rhythm of monitors and hurried footsteps. She kept glancing in my direction, and I couldn’t help but notice her eyes — kind, steady, and impossible to forget. What I didn’t realize at first was that she was dealing with a difficult patient who kept asking for more medication I had already decided to withhold. Those looks definitely caught my attention although not in the way she intended. I decided to take a chance. I gave her my number and asked her out.

Claudia > Our first date was at IHOP — breakfast at 3 p.m. (the perfect time after a night shift!). I told him when I usually woke up, and he immediately said, “That’s perfect, I love breakfast.” And just like that, our story began over pancakes and coffee.

By our second date, Joel told me he was never leaving Puerto Rico — and little did we know, those words would define the next few years of our relationship. For four years, we’ve been in a long-distance relationship filled with love, trust, communication, and countless trips back and forth to see each other. Every visit reminded us that distance means so little when someone means so much.

Then on December 11, 2024, at El Faro in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, Joel surprised me with the most magical proposal. I had no idea it was coming — we had never even talked about marriage! But somehow, he proposed exactly the way I had always dreamed of: just the two of us, overlooking the ocean, in the most peaceful and beautiful moment.

And now, here we are — planning our wedding, preparing to start this new chapter together, and finally making Puerto Rico our home. The rest, as they say, is history. 💍🌴