Brianna & Michael
His Side
So, Brianna and I met at a smoke pit between my barracks and a navy barracks. I had just gotten back from Jiu Jitsu class and she was hanging out with one of my Marines in the smoke pit. I walked up, we started conversing (not important) and then we went to go play ping pong in the barracks game room. She told me to sit on her lap haha, and obviously I felt really awkward, but I did it anyway. She asked if I wanted to go get something to drink, so we walked out, and I walked straight to my car not realizing that she meant the vending machine. So, we ended up going to Jack in the Box and grabbing some food too.
The entire time we were in the car together, we just talked and got to know each other. Somehow, time got away from us and we made our way back to the barracks after her friend texted her to ask where she was. After that, we started dating. She told me she loved me for almost a week straight and I always responded with, “I like you, too”. The day she finally gave up and said, “I like you”, I finally told her that I loved her. Strange enough, after a while, I felt like I could see myself with her for the rest of my life, so I proposed, and she said no the first time because I caught her when she was upset. I also didn’t have the ring yet so there’s that. The second time I proposed to her, I took her out to a waterfront. I don’t think she was listening to most of what I was saying haha, but I said “You know I love you right? I know we’ve been through a lot and it’s been a bumpy road, but I love you and I want you to be happy…” There was a lot more but it’s hard to remember. I got down on one knee, pulled out the ring and proposed again. This time she said yes! After that, we moved into our first apartment on Valentines’ Day and got married on February 22, 2018.
Her Side
On September 20th 2017, we met at a smoke pit on Camp Pendleton. I was wearing a Virginia hoodie and black sweats with slides and my hair was all braided up and this guy walks over wearing a blue shirt and khaki cargo shorts. He caught my eye immediately and I was just studying his face and mannerisms and his voice. While there were two or three other people around, I could literally only see and hear him, pretty much tunnel vision. We ended up actually going to get something to drink just us two when I was just thinking from the vending machines he walked over to his car and I followed blindly (remember tunnel vision) while riding in his car I began to interrogate him like any normal woman would. What’s your ideal woman? Why are you single? Are you single? How do you feel about relationships? What attracts you to a woman? How long have you been in the Marines? How old are you? Just normal things you know.
We began dating after that first encounter and obviously we went through a few arguments and disagreements, nothing too intense. Within those first few months of dating we continued to learn more about each other as the days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months until he asked me to marry him the first time(yes I said first time). We were in the middle of a stupid fight about literally nothing and he pulled me outside the barracks and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was unimpressed and said no because there was no ring nor any thought in the action. The second time he proposed we were just fine, no arguments or anything wild. I was drinking and was a little tipsy; I could not for the life of me comprehend why he wanted to go alone somewhere when we were with friends having a good time. I reluctantly agreed to go with him in his car and he ended up driving to a waterfront and we had an intense conversation about life and love and our futures(mind you I’m tipsy so I’m just spilling my true feelings without any after thought of what could be coming). This man takes me out of the car and has me sit on the hood of it as he gets on one knee and pulls out a ring and proposed to me. My tipsy went fully away and I was beyond sober the moment I looked into his eyes and saw he was genuinely in love and asking me to be his rib, his equal, his completion and I said yes with no question.
We got married in San Diego at the courthouse and I cried my eyes out with so much joy and happiness. Leading up to that special day we were just in bliss. I was excited and still in shock that I was legitimately about to be a married woman at the age of 20 and I wasn’t afraid of anything. I didn’t have doubts or fears or worries. I was joyous and blessed.
