Mr. & Mrs. Pires
It’s official — I married the love of my life! After being together for nearly 7 years, I feel like we were already married, but it is exciting to have officially, legally tied the knot.
Our love story is my favorite story; it’s unique, comical, bizarre in a good way, and slightly anxiety-inducing, knowing that everything my life is right now kind of boils down to a single, random moment in time. It gives me chills just thinking about it - how all of my experiences and adventures and memories over the past 7 years could have been completely different had I not changed my flight last minute, or had he not booked his flight last minute. But I like to believe that when you’re star-crossed soul mates like us, you’re destined to meet eventually. So in some way or another, we would have found each other, given that the universe seemed to conspire to bring us together.
It may seem like our love story began on Monday, November 19, 2012, when we coincidentally booked the same Southwest flight home to San Jose from San Diego for Thanksgiving break - but it actually isn’t, which I’ll get to later. I had originally booked my flight for Tuesday the 20th, but last minute decided I wanted to come home Monday night after class, so changed it on a whim. Across town, just hours before the flight, he decided he wanted to fly home that evening as well, so he booked one of the last few tickets on the same flight. But our love story actually began long before that fated flight - in the summer of 2009 to be exact - when we were just 20 years old.
Flash back to 2009: I worked at our college gym throughout school, and sat right by the entrance watching people scan their hands so they could be let into the gym each day (lol). Every so often I would see him come in and thought he was sooo cute. Tall, dark and handsome - exactly my type. We would say hi every time he came in, and eventually he struck up conversation with me, which is how we found out that we were both from San Jose. We connected on Facebook, he asked me out to a few parties which I politely declined (and secretly - incorrectly - judged him for being a party boy), and eventually he asked me on a date to Yogurtland which I was much more down for.
I was absolutely smitten with him. All I remember from that date was eating yogurt next to him and smiling from ear to ear. But he had gotten out of a relationship recently and wasn’t ready for another relationship, which I made clear that I wanted to pursue with him. We got into a bit of an argument about it, and parted ways on not-so-great terms. In a nutshell, he thought I was a stage 5 clinger for wanting to pursue a relationship so soon (who has the last laugh now?) and I was mad/worried that he had the wrong impression of me. I didn’t want him to leave thinking I was some desperate person, so I tried to block him from leaving my room so we could talk it out. Eventually he stormed out of my apartment (after claiming that I was trying to “trap him” into staying lol). We parted ways and didn’t speak for 4 years, apart from an occasional “hello” at the gym.
In the 4 years that passed, he and I both had other relationships and life experiences. I studied abroad, he worked his butt off in school, etc. Which is why on November 19th, as I was sitting at the airport, he was truly the last person I ever expected (or wanted) to see. I was caught up in my life: almost done with grad school, mentally bracing myself to leave San Diego, and in a 2-year long-distance relationship.
But you know how sometimes there are certain moments that divide your life in half when you look back on it? As in, your life was one way before that moment, and a different way after? That’s how I feel about the moment I looked up and saw him staring at me from across the airport terminal, eating a banana and buying a snack. A moment I will never forget as long as I live. I was mortified and did not want him to talk to me, because from the way we left things 4 years ago, I thought he hated me. But the next thing I knew, he was tapping my shoulder and asking if I remembered who he was. We got to talking (and he got me laughing, despite being standoffish) and then suddenly he was sitting next to me on the flight. The only things I remember from our conversation on the flight:
we both thought it was crazy that we had the same airplane drink of choice - cran app juice - which then led us to discover that neither of us drink alcohol
he made me laugh the entire flight (and it felt like a 2 min flight)
he confidently told me that in 6 years time (2018 to be exact), things would be different and we would be together
I came home from the airport that night and told my mom all about the interaction and how crazy it was to see him again. He texted me that night asking if I could help him get in running shape for a half marathon, and I agreed. Over the next few months, we trained together until we eventually ran the St. Patrick’s Day Half Marathon together in March 2013. By that time, we were dating - I realized that I couldn’t imagine my life without him. I felt like I had known him forever - I like to think that our souls just recognized each other.
Fast forward to today, nearly 7 years later, and I look at him and us and our life, and the only thing I know for certain is that I have found the one whom my soul loves. We spent almost all of our 20s together - through grad school degrees, dream jobs, moving cities, bucket list vacations (we’ve been to 17 countries together and counting), buying our first home, navigating successful careers, and supporting each other through the highest of highs and lowest of lows. Our love has not stayed the same over time; it has grown deeper, been challenged, re-shaped, and continues to be an ever-evolving, truly unconditional love that I’m not only proud of, but could not live without.
As we turn to the next chapter of our lives, my soul is at peace knowing that I have the privilege of continuing to live every day with him by my side. Someone who has a heart of pure gold; who treats every single person with respect and kindness, whether it be the janitor or the queen of England; who makes me want to be a better person; who is deeply sensitive and sweet; who never stops trying to make me happy and put a smile on my face; who lights up the room whenever he walks in. My best friend, my soulmate, my great love - the kind of love that comes around once in a lifetime if you’re lucky…or if you book the right flight :)
“He’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” - Emily Bronte
Photo Credit: Alice Che Photography
