Our story began on the tennis courts at Lakewood Elementary School, but its wasn't exactly love at first sight. At 12 years old, I (Elaina) was much more focused on what Coach Jozef was saying than the boy I was playing against. I definitely never thought that that practice with the 8 year old would be the most impactful practice for me and I wouldn't know the extent until 10 years later.......

10 years after our first encounter, Jerry and I met again at The Birch where I worked and Jerry continued to play tennis (in hopes to be as good as me? lol). I'm not sure if it is was thanks to the Dent's infamous game nights or Hai's need for homecoming advice, but eventually our brief interactions/debates became the highlight of both of our days. If not for Jerry's patience with me and my oblivious self, I am not sure we would have ever moved passed these little moments. In spite of me standing Jerry up, we had our first date back at the tennis courts where it all started 10 years ago.

The next two years were filled with road trips to tournaments, initiating Jerry into the family, long distance, and lots of games of H-O-R-S-E. I got to see Jerry enter a new season of college tennis and cheer him on alongside his family. And Jerry championed me on as I finished school and withstood all the roasting that comes with being with the Carbo siblings.

We didn't know that towards the end of those two years, would be the moment that that old adage "in sickness and in health" would begin to ring true in our relationship. While the day I found out I had cancer may have been the hardest day, the day Jerry came and told me that he was moving back, entering the transfer portal, and leaving his community, friends, and teammates for me was the second hardest. It’s one thing to have someone in your life say they’re willing to give up everything for you. It’s another thing for them to actually do that. Ever since that day, sacrifice has been the anthem of Jerry’s life. When I had surgery and he put a mattress in my living room and woke up every 4 hours for a month to give me my medication, he never asked for anything in return. When tournaments over lapped with my surgeries and he chose to stay, he never expected a “thank you”. When the days of figuring out paperwork for transferring were overbearing, he never once looked at me and blamed me for the added stress. When school and tennis were already filling his day and he still came to care for me afterwards, he never complained of being tired even though it was written on his eyes. And even then with all that sacrifice, not a soul would know of what he’s done for me because he would never think to boast about his actions. This is only a glimmer of all he did for me through the hardest year of our life

It seems like a gift from God that at the end of the hardest year of our lives, we get to enter into the best years of our lives now. Because on August 9, 2024 (after Jerry thoughtfully planned for months), Jerry got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. For four months Jerry had planned the greatest proposal with the goal of making sure I (Elaina) never found out. If you know me, you know I am a snoop and so this is perhaps the hardest ask. Nevertheless, with the help of all the sisters and moms (and a lot of other people) Jerry proposed at the park where we had dozens of night walks, our first kiss, and some of the most important conversations in our relationship. I am not sure if I let Jerry finish the question before I blurted out "yes" but either way that day we entered a new chapter and I can't wait to blurt out "I do" on June 13th, 2025