February 2017, The Smith restaurant was opening their first DC location in the Penn Quarter neighborhood. We had both been hired as bartenders on the spot, and met the very first day of orientation. She walked into the room with big, bouncing curls , and an electric smile. She must’ve caught me looking because she asked if she could sit next to me, and with true hospitality I offered to get her a coffee. When I brought it back she called me her “white knight in shining armor” but I tried to keep it professional.

Our mutual friends knew we were interested in each other, and they conspired to get us together. Not sure if I should get my hopes up, I held off until I saw a Snapchat story that she posted, where she told her followers (while in a squirrel filter of course) that she had a crush on one of the bartenders. I thankfully put 2 + 2 together and figured that she was talking about me. I asked her out on our first date and we went to see "Get Out." Next thing I know her Grandma Hilda was telling everyone we were married!!

We discovered we share a love of good food and drink, a passion for thrill, the arts, and a competitive nature. Renee is particularly fond of seafood, and has brought her love of oysters to me. I got her off the cardio machines and we competed in our first strength competition together. We’ve visited numerous wineries, countless restaurants, several opening nights, a few beaches, a couple of symphonies and somewhere along the way, over a crowded bar, she whispered “ I love you. I really really love you.”

2020 was a tough year for the entire world. As we all bundled inside waiting for when it was safe to go out again, many relationships ended, but ours grew stronger. We picked up new skills and when she got tired of being stuck in the house, I found new ways for us to safely travel our backyard. We traveled across the state of Maryland visiting different parks and historical locations, taking hikes and photo walks. We worked on gardening projects, new recipes and found new movies/series to watch. I even helped Renee make a short film with her production team. And when we both got Covid, we nursed each other back to health. We really got to know each other and fully fall in love.

The capstone was when we attended the wedding of my cousin, Dr. Jessyca Camacho. During the bouquet toss, in one of the greatest athletic feats I've seen in person, Renee leapt from the back of the room, with not only all of her poor hand eye coordination, but with all of her heart, and the will power of her Grandma Hilda……………………..and caught it!! At that moment, I knew I had to marry her!

Getting down on one knee, in front of strangers, is what I dreaded the most. Asking one of the most important questions of my life, with the world watching? Finding the ring was easy, finding the courage and the location was hard. After receiving the blessings of her family, Hilda willed it after all, one of my coworkers suggested the Lincoln Memorial (specifically the site of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech) for the proposal. Now that I had the location, the proper blessings and the ring, all I had to do was ask.

On the anniversary of when we started dating, October 6, 2021, I got down on one knee and asked Renee Wilson to marry me. It was at the Lincoln Memorial , but not in my preplanned spot, way too many tourists, but I boldly got down anyway. Bystanders figured out what I was going to do and in true movie magic, cleared the set and went silent. When she said yes, the crowd roared and there was clapping all around us. Hilda willed it and the world was cheering us on! It was a charmed moment that we will remember for the rest of our lives.