How We Met
They say we often fall in love with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time, and this could not be truer about me and my now-fiance, Gerald Williams. He was a senior and I was a junior at the same Catholic high school, but we never spoke or interacted until we found ourselves in a different state for a student leadership retreat, staying up well-past curfew hours talking until the sun came up. Ten years later, through long distance in college, career milestones and the ups and downs life has thrown us since our high school days, we’ve been inseparable, tackling life together, hand in hand. We weren’t in a rush to get married — heck, it’s been 10 years, so clearly we were waiting for the right time — but when it happened, it couldn’t have been any more perfect. And “Perfect” it was. The first time we heard Ed Sheeran’s song “Perfect,” we knew it was ours. Never has a song moved and touched us like this one:
“I found a love for me
Darling just dive right in
And follow my lead
Well I found a girl beautiful and sweet
I never knew you were the someone waiting for me
‘Cause we were just kids when we fell in love
Not knowing what it was
I will not give you up this time
But darling, just kiss me slow, your heart is all I own
And in your eyes you’re holding mine.”
how they asked
So after many arguments, Gerald convinced me to do a New Year’s Day photo shoot. He even bought me the sparkly dress and heels I wore, which went with the whole New Year’s theme. When we arrived to the location in front of the Perez Art Museum — a beautiful park overlooking the Miami skyline — I was surprised to see both of our families there, and we immediately started taking group photos. Me with my family. Gerald with his family. A big group photo all together.
Then it was our turn.
We posed for a few shots, then out of no where, “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran started playing on the loud speakers. I turned to see Gerald on his knee, where he said a whole bunch of sweet things that brought tears to my eyes and presented me with the most beautiful ring. I’ll forever remember this day as the day my high school sweetheart asked me to be his wife.
Like the song says, we were just kids when we fell in love, not knowing what it was. We grew up together. Now we get to grow old together.