If you ask Steven: IT WAS DEFINITELY A DATE. I had tried almost all of the dating apps but still couldn't find someone who I could connect with. It just so happened that I was invited last minute to an Angels vs Yankees game by my best friend Luis and his girlfriend Luisa. I brought my daughter along as we are both Yankee fans. We got the cheapest seats we could find and I was really enjoying my time with my friends and my daughter. It was a nice change of pace from being stuck on my phone all night looking for love. I checked my instagram during the 7th inning stretch and that's when I noticed an old friend was also at the game. So I decided to reach out and message her. Not knowing that my life would change forever by simply sending a message.

Over the next few days, I reached out to Lorena a handful of times just to talk and get to know her more. I found out that we would both be going to the Street Fair that weekend. So I asked her if she had time, we could meet up during the Street Fair and hang out. She said yes and I immediately became excited to see her. When I got to The Circle with my friends, I got a drink to calm my nerves and asked her where she was at and what she was wearing so that I could find her in a very dense crowd. One of the friends I was with was wearing the exact same color shirt Lorena was wearing: Neon Yellow/Green. I almost broke my neck with all the scanning I was doing to find her. I found out later that she was never anywhere close to me and only stayed at one end of the street fair because that's where her favorite food was. I went home that night never meeting or seeing her. Definitely felt discouraged. I tried to text her to find out where she was at the end of the night and turned out she already went home. Told her maybe next time to which she responded with: lets hang out another day. Courage immediately came roaring back.

The following Wednesday, I decided to try one more time to ask her to hang out. My Hail Mary. If she said no or didn't respond then I knew to move on. I texted her Wednesday morning and asked her to go grab some drinks after work that night and she said yes. We decided to meet at Danny K's for drinks and billiards. I was so nervous even though I got there early. Once she texted me that she arrived, I pretended not to see it but my heart was pounding. I was about to be on a date with my schools old head cheerleader! She came in and I pretended not to notice. She got to my chair and pushed me from behind and said, "answer your damn phone next time." There goes my date, I thought. I gave her a hug and apologized then sat back down and tried to redeem myself in the only way I knew how. By playing and beating her at pool.

I led her to the billiards table and tried to seem like I knew what I was doing while I was setting up for our first game. I thought I was doing well until the guy next to me said, "Hey man, your supposed to setup the balls on the other side of the table." I looked at Lorena and she had the biggest grin on her face and I knew I was caught. I had no idea how to play pool other then the few times I played at my friends house during high school almost ten years prior. I asked Lorena to bet on the game. If I win, I get a second date. Guinness right! If I lost, I'll pay for another beer. I lost 3 games in a row and each game I kept the same wager. A date for a beer. I finally won the 4th game and was so happy. We played one more time and I felt bolder so I wagered a kiss for a beer and she agreed. I played the best game I ever have and won easily. We left the bar shortly after that and I walked her to her car. I asked for the kiss and she luckily fulfilled her side of the bet. I watched her leave and as I was walking back to my car I knew I was never going to find another woman like Lorena. I drove home smiling and singing my heart out to whatever song came on. I knew then that I was going to marry Lorena.

If you ask Lorena: I was done with the dating scene and had made a promise to God that I would put it in his hands when the right time would be for me to find someone. After all everyone at some point seems to find someone, so I left that task to him. In the mean time I would focus on my friends, my family, and myself to just enjoy life and the last few weeks of summer. Well that all lasted about 2 weeks.

It was a Tuesday night at an Angel game with some of my closest friends. It was a great way to end the summer month with the Angels beating the Yankees (6-4). We decided to continue to have a good time and the night took us to one of our favorite bars Pauls. Keeping my promise to God with a couple of drinks on hand, I was enjoy living in the moment with loved ones.

It just so happened that a lifelong Yankees fan was also at the game. Unfortunately for him more disappointment was to follow after their loss. Steven decided to comment an a possibly drunk selfie of me and my friends stating he was also there. Our worlds in that moment could not have been any more different. He was home with his daughter getting ready for bed early since it was a school night, meanwhile I was probably on shot number 3 with my friends. Thinking nothing of the coincidence, I took my shot and enjoyed the rest of my night.

The next day to my surprise I got another message from Steven. Still thinking nothing of it, I replied a few times then left him on read by accident. Street Fair was around the corner and he wanted a chance to meet up. Again not thinking much of it I said sure, not entirely sure if I was even going. I ended up going for the last hour for the sole purpose of getting the discounted food they try to sell at the last minute. Completely forgetting that I was even supposed to be on the lookout for Steven. I simply went back home with my friends and called it a night.

Feeling horrible that I kept ghosting him by accident, when he asked to catch up for drinks I thought to myself sure why not, its not like this is a date especially since he called me a dork in his invite. So we meet up at Danny Ks and caught up while we waited for our names to be called to play some pool. Once we got our table I knew this was not just to catch up, this was in fact a date. The poor guy was so nervous he set up the balls on the opposite side of the table that someone had to come in and correct him. On about 5 different occasions I caught him fumbling with the cue stick, almost poking his eye out.

He tried to redeem himself by betting best out of 5 gets to pick the prize. His was a kiss at the end of the night while mine was probably about food. To no surprise I bested him 4:5, this guy could not catch a break. At the end of the night, even though he lost he went in for a kiss and in that moment I knew Gods plans were in motion not just for me but for us.

Wedding Day

Reception