I glanced at the clock in my 4runner as I drove at a snail’s pace along the highway in bumper-to-bumper traffic. I was supposed to meet my date in Oakland exactly 30 minutes ago, but the traffic wouldn’t let up. I call him, yet again, to apologize and assure him I am, indeed, on my way. I’m just running painfully late and wondering why I ever agreed to meet this guy in a town so far away?! I have no idea where I’m going and had no clue it’d take me the longest hour and half to get there!

Arriving spectacularly late, the host at the front desk greets me with a smile as I tell him who I’m meeting. He responds with a, “Ooohhh, you’re finally here!”. He turns around and points to a gentleman sitting alone at a small table for two, drinking a beer and says to me, “There he is.". "We’ve been keeping him company with a few pints, so you should be good!”. Frazzled, I thank the host while I hurry my step, walking toward my date as I work out in my head how I’m going to apologize. But just as I meet his face, no apologies come out, only a smile. He hands me the menu and mentions he’s glad I made it. "Hi Dave, I'm Margie."

After a sangria and another lager, we chatted, we laughed, we smiled and we made plans for another date.

Three and half years later, we’ve learned a few things…

He loves metal rock, I love classic jazz. He prefers prime rib, I prefer filet of sole. He loves whiskey, I like wine. He loves going out, I love staying in. I’m a morning person, he’s a night owl. I love comedies, he prefers horror flicks.

He’s Irish, I’m Mexican. We’re both passionate and we’re both loud. We get angry quick, but we forgive even quicker. I love to laugh and he likes to make me laugh. He loves to tell stories and I like to listen.

In between trying to figure out how to fit 5 kids and 2 adults in one house, who will do the next food run, trying to wait it out long enough to force the other to do laundry, flipping through channels every night and never agreeing on a movie to watch until someone falls asleep and taking long walks in the evening on date night, and laughing and talking till the wee hours of the morning while listening to music on vinyl, drinking wine and wishing the night would never end, yes, somewhere in between life happening, we knew we wanted life to happen together forever.