Nina and I both started at Washington Mutual Bank on January 7, 2007. Different departments, same building. It’s very possible we passed each other in the hallway or even shared an elevator, but if we did, I probably said nothing.
Funny thing—she was originally going to live in Austin, but a week before moving, she switched to San Antonio because it was cheaper. Fate stepped in right there.
By August 2007, she landed in my department. And guess where they sat her? Yep—right behind me. When I first saw her, my thoughts weren’t exactly romantic: She is tall! Why is she wearing sunglasses inside? Why the scarf? She is weird!
We started chatting through instant messaging (the only way two phone-bound people could communicate at a call center). She needed my expertise, and I was happy to help. What I didn’t know then was that she immediately liked the way I smelled. (Secret revealed: it was just Softsoap.)
At first, all I thought about was logging out and going home each night. I had no idea this woman behind me would eventually become my wife and the mother of my child.
One day, during our IMs, I mentioned my side gig as a high school football statistician—probably the ultimate turnoff. I told her about once getting pulled over at Smithson Valley for making a wrong U-turn. She lived near there and offered to guide me to safety “no matter how late it was.” She even gave me her number. I didn’t call that time—I managed to escape Smithson Valley on my own—but the number stuck.
Later, when she mentioned she was apartment hunting, I offered to help and gave her my number. The first time she called, I was too nervous to pick up. But that didn’t last. Soon we were hanging out, showing each other apartments, and spending more time together. She moved into a place right across the street from me.
Fast-forward: December 9, 2009. I had the ring, a bouquet of flowers, and a stomach that could only handle a banana all day. I wanted to propose right away—I couldn’t even wait until the cruise we had planned. I drove to her house exhausted, she was already ready for bed, but I got down to the most important question of my life. She said yes.
On October 10, 2010, we got married. In May 2016, Nina gave birth to Niko.
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