Raul and Prici had a plan that included salsa dancing and a couple falling in love. They were sure that Jesus and Addy were perfect for each other. After all, they were both: weird, nerds, socially awkward, Type A, academically oriented, and particular. So with Jesus secure in their backseat, they picked up Ady for a night of dancing at La Granada.
Neither Ady nor Jesus had any expectations whatsoever. But the attraction was immediate. Ady saw a very cute guy, and Jesus was caught off guard by Ady’s long hair, eyes, smile, laugh, and, of course, her motivating energy.
The revelation of their Type A personalities would happen on the dance floor as they both tried to lead. Ady had been told many times before that she needed a strong man to lead, and as Jesus started again, she found it hot. They escaped the dance floor and their chaperones to talk. The conversation that followed became suddenly serious when they both laid it all on the line. Ady told him she wanted to get married and have kids, and those terms were not negotiable. Instead of running, exiting stage left, suddenly remembered he had somewhere to be, etc., Jesus felt relieved and he told Ady his plans which included a serious relationship and possibly moving for medical school. They were the couple that connected on knowing what they wanted. With the serious stuff out of the way, the nerds in them emerged and they then discussed playing Yighio Cards at Frank and Sons. (I’m pretty sure this is a scene from The Big Bang Theory.)
Jesus made his move on their ride home and would steal a kiss, and it would be at her front door that she would kiss him. The adventure was just beginning.
If the serious conversation they had at the club was not enough to convince Ady he was the one, a trip to Wrightwood, where she got them lost, would result in them sharing drinks at a dive bar. Here, Jesús told her that he was a Big Brother and always considered adopting. He did not know it then, but Ady, at that moment, “clubbed him on the head” and took him off the market. She was in love! And it was also at that moment that Jesus knew he wanted to marry her. She also wanted to adopt as well. He knew it took a certain special someone to do something like that – all the personality traits, the world view, and connotations that came with that, she was who he was looking for in a life long partner – a wife.
“She makes me feel safe to be vulnerable. I’ve never been used to being comfortable in sharing where I am emotionally, but she knows how to catch those moments in me. And what makes it even more special is that she knows exactly what it is I need in that moment – physical touch, words of affirmation, or quality time. And honestly this is a big part of why I fell in love with her, she simply understands me. She understands my weirdness, she hypes me up when I get on a rant, she listens when I’m rambling on about ruminating thoughts, and she hypes me up and motivates me when I am unsure of myself.”
Together, they saw all the beautiful possibilities and the future they could build together. And so Jesus had to think of a proposal that would symbolize their commitment to each other and the world view they ascribed to, which is that marriage is a choice one makes every day. Every day, you choose love, you choose to keep going, you choose to work hard at it, and you choose to encourage the person beside you. Marriage is like running a marathon. And so they trained and ran. There at the finish line, with the world watching, Jesus proposed to Ady. Ady said, “Yes,” to the man who could lead her… on a dance floor, race beside her.. .in a marathon and yet let her soar with his heart in tow.
(Funny story: Ady actually met Jesus’ mom a few years before. She is a mariachi, and so at an event, Ady serenaded her without knowing she would be her mother-in-law. )
This Story was captured by A Story in Time Photography: Jessie Cadenas with the assistance of Melissa Quezada. If you are interested in your Engagement, Wedding or Quinceañera being captured, don’t hesitate to contact us using the contact button at the top of this post or HERE.
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