A long time ago, (June 20, 2016) I walked into St. Vincent Hospital in Little Rock for my first radiology class. I remember feeling nervous on my first day. I knew my class was small, about 16 people, and I did not know any of my classmates. I arrived very early that day (I can be early sometimes) and walked into a classroom where there were desks on both sides of the room with only two seats each. One seat at each desk was already taken so I had to choose someone to sit by. I never would have thought that the seat I chose that day would’ve been next to my future husband.

We sat next to each other in class for 2 years and became close friends. I kept him awake in class by kicking his leg or poking his arm. I got used to my desk vibrating because he would shake his leg constantly when focusing on an assignment or test. My ink pens would continue to mysteriously disappear over the years (he bought me a large package of pens for a graduation present). We would study together and joke around all the time. He always knew how to make me laugh.

We graduated from radiology school together and continued to encourage each other to further our education in the medical field. After graduation, we ended up going our separate ways. Javi began his career in the cardiac catheterization lab at St. Vincent. I pursued my goal to become a physician assistant. I moved to Illinois to attend PA school at Southern Illinois University. During those next 2 years, we lost touch.

Fast forward to August of 2021…I graduated from PA school. On the day of my graduation, I received a text from Javi. The text read, “Cara hi!! I hope you still remember me. This is Javier Hernandez. I just wanted to congratulate you on your achievement. You’re going to help so many people. Maybe if you’re in town sometime we could catch up.” I remember feeling happy and excited to hear from him after so many years.

As soon as I moved back to Arkansas, I met up with Javi at Onyx coffee in Rogers. He gave me the biggest hug and had the cutest smile on his face. We sat down and talked for hours catching up right where we left off. We drove over to the Tontitown winery to continue the night. We were surprised to find out it was bingo night and we each had a BINGO and won a prize (after we both say we never win things ha). At the end of the night, he surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I was so blown away by how kind and thoughtful he was (and still is). Driving home that night, I couldn’t stop smiling. I knew that he was someone special.

We dated for 3 years and have had so many incredible adventures together. Our first trip to Mexico is one of my favorites. I got to meet his family, see where he grew up as a child, and experience his beautiful culture. After that experience and over the years, we grew much closer.

Last October, he woke me up at 4 a.m. to drive to one of our favorite hiking spots to see the sunrise. (I know this seems suspicious, but this is something he really enjoys). Once we reached the overlook and the sun began to rise, he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I feel truly blessed to have such an amazing man in my life and I cannot wait to marry him. I am so excited to see what the future brings for us.

The Seat Beside Me

I came in early that day.

Not to impress, or to stand out–

Just a man looking for a seat

Somewhere in the middle

Not too close to the noise.

Not too far from the front.

Just right.

And that’s where she found me.

Not because she saw me.

Not because she knew me.

Just because there was nowhere else left.

She sat down,

A stranger,

With eyes that didn’t know me yet.

And I didn’t know it then,

But my life had just shifted.

Days turned into semesters.

Test, lectures,

Late nights buried in books.

We sat side by side

Like two stars in orbit,

Never colliding,

But always close enough to feel the pull.

I started to feel something

Not loud,

Not sudden–

Just something steady,

Like a heartbeat you forget is there

Until it skips.

But life had its own pace.

She went one way,

I went the other.

She chased a white coat,

I chased purpose through wires and blood vessels.

Two years passed.

And then…

A photo

A moment captured.

She was still the same

But brighter.

Stronger.

Unforgettable.

I reached out,

Not knowing if she’d remember me.

But she did.

And when she said yes to coffee,

My world shifted again.

That day at Onyx

Her smile hit like sunlight through glass.

We talked like we never stopped

Hours melted

My heart raced.

And when she said she’d come from Fort Smith

Just for this–

Just for me-

I knew I had to make it count.

I stopped for flowers.

Nervous like a kid again.

Met her at the Tontitown winery,

Won bingo, of all things.

But the real prize

Was standing right in front of me.

She didn’t kiss me that night.

But she hugged me.

It felt like peace after war.

And from there,

It grew,

Slow.

Real.

No sparks flying wild,

Just a flame we fed every day.

A hilltop in Fort Smith.

City lights blinking below.

I asked.

She said yes.

Two classmates, two friends

Now something more.

Then came Mexico.

Guanajuato- city of romance.

They call it the Venice of Latin America,

We walked stone streets,

Shared great adventures

Got lost in alleyways

And found more of each other in the silence.

She came to “El Rancho.”

Met the people who raised me,

The soil I came from.

She laughed with my cousins,

Held my Abuela’s (Grandmother’s) hand,

And called it beautiful.

That’s when I knew:

She loved all of me.

And I loved her more than ever before.

Now, three years later,

We stand at the edge of forever—

Not as two people who happened to sit beside each other

But as two souls

Who chose to walk side by side

Every day since.

Soon, we’ll stand before God,

And I will vow

With steady hands,

With a full heart

To love her

From this day forward

For better

For worse

For richer

For poorer

In sickness and in health

Until death do us part.