(Warning: The below story was authored by Marco Torres who has historically been known for awful jokes, puns, and silly humor. Please proceed at your own risk)

The story of these two love birds is like a romantic comedy. There are ups and there are downs. But, with every good story, there is a happy ending. So, hold on tight, because this, my friends, is a beautifully wild ride.

Their story begins on a Saturday in early May 2018. Marco had invited his friend Gary to go for a big bike ride. After the ride, Gary and his girlfriend, Cathryn, were going to join Marco for the Pleasanton Wine Mixer in Pleasanton. They informed Marco that they had invited one of their single friends, Megan, to join them for the event.

Legend has it that from the very moment that Marco met Megan, he knew that there was something special about this woman. There was an instant connection that grew as the day went on. They laughed at silly dad jokes that Marco told, they drank some good wine, and some NOT-so-good wine. The day was simply amazing. Marco fell for Megan’s happiness. She lit up the day and Marco had to know more about her. That evening, when they all went their separate ways, Megan was caught in an awkward situation. You see, Gary and Cathryn had left before Megan could grab all of her things. She was stuck at this man's house that she had never met before. As bad thoughts ran through Megan’s head, Marco turned to her and said “I’m really nervous around you. I think that means that I like you! Would you like to go out on a date with me?” Reluctantly, Megan said…..,”sure?!?” Marco was over the moon and suggested that they grab dinner on Wednesday night. Now, if Megan wasn’t worried enough about being stranded by her friends in a stranger's house, she was definitely worried by a man that asks a woman out on a Wednesday night. (Narrator to audience*: Marco didn’t have his kids on Wednesday night so it was his only free day that he could see Megan for the next 2 weeks).

The next day was Mother’s Day so, obviously, Marco wasn’t going to try to see Megan on such an important day…..WRONG! Marco had breakfast with his mother for that special day. During breakfast, Marco reached out to Megan with a simple text. It read, “I had a really great time meeting you yesterday. I usually wear my heart on my sleeve. So, I was wondering if you’d like to get together today for a little bit.” Megan, again fearful for her life, took HOURS to respond, but when she finally came to her senses, she realized that only a normal man would ditch his own mother to see a girl he just met.

That first date led them to many more dates and fun experiences. They laughed, they explored and they fell in love. One day, Megan suggested that she meet the kids. Marco was ecstatic and this wonderful journey just got even more special. Eventually, they moved in together and started building a great family. Everything Marco and Megan had worked for their whole life was finally paying off.

But, remember folks, this is a love story and I warned you of the highs and the lows. Well, brace yourselves because here comes a low.

Covid struck hard as it did for many other families. Megan and Marco struggled through the pandemic and broke up. Megan had always wanted to explore Austin, so she packed up her things and found a place to start fresh. That’s NOT how love stories go, people! This wouldn’t be a true love story if they didn’t get back together. Well, the good news is that the minute they broke up Marco realized that he was a fool and wanted nothing more than to have Megan back in his life.

Megan started to make friends in Austin and was living her life. Marco, not being able to live without Megan, decided to go visit this mythical land. He flew out on Valentine's Day weekend during an extreme weather warning for Austin. He tried to see Megan but she was still unsure if they should see each other. Finally, she agreed that he could come over only for dinner. During dinner, Marco’s flight kept getting rescheduled due to the weather. The next thing you know, Marco was caught in a snowstorm that only hits Austin every 100 years. Now if that’s not Mother Nature telling these two love birds to be together, I don’t know what is. They were stuck in an apartment for 10 days without water. There were lots of movies watched, conversations had and by the end, they realized that they wanted to be in each other's lives.

Mother Nature struck again with her ironic humor. Covid hit our household. You see, Megan decided to test out Pleasanton ONE more time to see if she was comfortable with the idea of moving back. She planned to visit us for two weeks so we could all spend some much needed time together. Those two weeks flew by because we had a great time together. On the last day of her visit we all tested positive for Covid. Her two week visit turned into a month long stay. Again, mother nature was telling us that we were supposed to be together, however this time, it was in the form of the very thing that broke us up.

I know, I know, this love story is getting a bit wordy. Fear not readers, we are almost at the cliffhanger.

Finally, after 11 trips to Austin and HOURS and HOURS of phone calls, Megan and Marco decided they needed to figure out what their future was going to be. Were they going to live independently, knowing that there was this person that was perfect for them, or were they going to take the freakin’ leap already and start their lives together?

As fate would have it, and how love stories usually go, they decided to take the leap and start life in a new home together. They moved into a new house in Pleasanton, where their love story began. Over the last year and a half, they have built many more beautiful memories that will last a lifetime.

And so, here we are. Not at the end, but at the beginning.

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Thank you all for joining us on our special day. We have been through a lot like many of you have. Our journey is unique and special to us and we would like nothing more than to share this part of our story with all of you.