Luis has a sister in Houston who is married to my nephews' grandfather, so while he was visiting her in October 2005, she convinced him to come with her to the boys' birthday party. I always go to my nephews' birthday party, of course, and it was being held in small town bowling alley close to where I grew up. In fact, it was the same bowling alley where my high school graduation "after-party" was held. (Sad,I know...) Anywho, a dark, handsome, well-dressed Latin man is rather conspicuous in a place like that, and he caught my eye immediately. I had never met his sister, so I didn't even realize that they were with the party. After my Mom discreetly told me who they all were, I worked up enough courage to put my meager conversational Spanish to the test and introduce myself.
We both realized before ever leaving the bowling alley that we were completely smitten with one another. So although we had to go our separate ways that afternoon, we met up later that evening and spent hours in the park talking, and laughing, an behaving a bit like teenagers! I stole him from his sister's house a week later, and he stayed with me in Austin until he had to return to Lima.
I have never known love like this. And at 29 years of age, resigned myself to believing it would never happen for me.
God didn't give up on me, even when I nearly had. He sent me an Angel........my husband, Luis.
