At the end of the Grand Theater’s staff Christmas party in 2008 this skinny kid with flippy hair came up all giddy telling me how he had asked my brother for my number and was going to message me. I was caught off guard and brushed it off. Next thing I know he was my first high school boyfriend- Bryce Hernandez. He used to wear his apron as tight as he could pull it and talk a mile a minute. He wore so much axe (but who didn’t). He’d flip his hair constantly and try his best to be lighthearted and funny.

We had been talking about our mutual love of mexican food, so Bryce nonchalantly invited me over for homemade enchiladas and Spanish rice. What I did not know was that I was the ginea pig of his cooking this meal. The enchilidas were burnt in a couple places, soggy in others, but altogether it wasn’t too bad. The rice however, was more akin to a crunchy gumbo. What I remember more than anything is how much we laughed together. This was the first time I heard Bryce’s laugh unleashed. I remember thinking how much I adored that sound. That was the first time I realized I’d be okay with this going somewhere.

The Rob Klucas family has been having dinner every Sunday available for about as long as I can remember. When Bryce and I were in the “we’re just hanging out” phase, I remember one Sunday my dad had texted about when I was coming over for dinner. Bryce asked what was for dinner and when I told him he seemed interested. When I asked if he wanted to come with, he nonchalantly said, “sure, let’s go.” He’s been coming to Sunday dinners ever since.