It all started in the city of El Paso, Texas. Where two young pharmacists enduring residency training met and became friends. Through the stress of residency, the busy schedules, and late nights our friendship grew. That amazing friendship has been the foundation of our relationship. We aren't sure exactly when the feelings of friendship turned romantic, but the opening sparks were undeniable.

We both knew there were sparks between us in early March, but we were still just friends. At that time Jamie was looking for a teaching job at a school of pharmacy while Jose was focused on finishing residency. Jamie always jokes that Jose has terrible timing because she had just accepted a job in San Antonio, Texas right before Jose asked her out on a first date. Our first date was in a flauta shop called El Cometa where Jose repeatedly started the conversation with "sooooo......" before finally asking to make us official. When we told our friends we were dating there was a mixed reaction between shock and exclamations of "Finally!" The next 3 months were filled with dates, wrapping up residency, and meeting each other's family. We did everything we could together and the basis of friendship made our relationship so easy and strong.

After we had completed our residency, Jose took a job at El Paso Children's Hospital and Jamie accepted an assistant professor position at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Our jobs required us to do long distance for a whole year. It certaintly wasn't easy and we missed each other terribly. That year was spent flying every other weekend to see each other, long facetime calls, and synchronously watching tv together via Discord. While being apart from each other was hard, we are grateful for the experience because it allowed us to work on our communication with each other and it made us realize how important the other person was to us. It was in this stage that we realized we are each other's forever person.

Jamie here! Our engagement was magical and a complete surprise to me! Jose had given me a timeframe of when I could expect a proposal - mostly so I could guarantee that my nails were done for the occasion. Even though I had a timeline of when he could propose, I was still completely surprised when it happened.

Jose sneakily asked two of my best friends that I work with in San Antonio to help him pull off this surprise. They devised a plan that Gaielle and I would throw a surprise birthday party for Sarah. This involved me talking to all of our co-workers and letting them know about the event and when/where to show up. While Sarah and Gaielle told everyone behind my back to just play along and agree. Gaielle also suggested that we all get ready for the surprise birthday party at my apartment beforehand. The restaurant we were supposed to go to just so happened to be our favorite date night spot. Its at a landmark spot in San Antonio called the Tower of the Americas with a scenic, rotating skyview restaurant at the top. When we got to the Tower of the Americas, I noticed a lot of lights and photographer. When I asked my friends what was happening they gave me a look that said look again. I looked at the set up again and there was Jose! I was so excited I almost threw my purse off my shoulder and I couldn't even let Jose get through the speech he prepared. He promised to love me and I told him I know you love me. He promised to take care of me and I again said I know, I know! When he finally proposed, I was jumping up and down and almost took the ring out of his hand to put it on myself I was so ready. It was a night I will never forget!

Unfortunately, after the engagement and a wonderful week of getting to be together in the engagement glow Jose had to fly back to El Paso for work. We were still long distance at the time, but now Jose was actively job searching for a position in San Antonio. Between the job search and the beginning stages of wedding planning the time flew by quickly. Jose accepted a job in San Antonio and made the move to end long distance forever in the middle of June. This chapter of being fiancés is one of the sweetest chapters yet. We truly feel so loved, supported, and celebrated by you. We are so looking forward to finally being Mr. and Mrs. Ontiveros and we hope that we get to celebrate it with you!