Gregorio Giovannti: How I Knew She Was The One

I knew my fiancée was the one from the first moment I laid eyes on her. It sounds extremely cliche, but that’s really the only way I know how to put it.  On Jan 5, 2012 we set a date for our first meet up after talking over the phone for countless hours and exchanging texts for a good two weeks. Upon arrival to her place, we decided to have dinner at an upscale Puerto Rican restaurant in lower Manhattan.

She looked absolutely gorgeous. So gorgeous, that I actually got extremely nervous. Immediately, I knew she was the one, right then and there… just from her body language.  Most of all, she allowed me to actually pick her up at her house. Most people would NOT do that… they would prefer to meet in a public place.  I went to Yesenia’s actual doorstep.

Another sign that she was a good one…3 days prior to our date, I had accidentally burnt my face while cooking but I still showed up.  Band-aid on my forehead, I just decided to let the chips fall where they may. The conversation, even with a burnt face was never an issue. We talked and laughed as if nothing had ever happened to my face.  I had burnt my forehead bad, too!

They say over 90% of communication is nonverbal and I must admit that is absolutely true. Yesenia wasn’t afraid to touch me, give me friendly love taps, smile at me for no reason or catch me smiling at her.  And she wasn’t afraid to agree to a second date immediately upon finishing dinner. Yes, I booked date 2 at date 1.

Over the course of a year, we hung out every weekend and even a few days out of the week. There hasn’t been one week that we haven’t hung out since we met. People always say, “we met and the rest is history“. That’s exactly what happened.

I knew she was the one for me when she would offer to do things that most women I’ve dated never even volunteered to do.

She would call me and ask me if I had eaten, was I hungry, did I want soup or if I was feeling ill.  And lastly…she just cared.  In fact, at first I thought that she cared a little too much. She would ask me if I had called and checked up on my family.  She genuinely cared about their well being even without having met them.  She just was a caring person even before we met.

What confirmed Yesenia being the one is when I met her mom and her 3 sisters – around date 4 or 5. I met them on accident when I went to pick her up on  for another date and they happened to be outside. They all treated me like I was a king. It didn’t strike me as odd because she comes from the typical Dominican family (I’m Dominican and Black) and that’s just what we do.  Her mom invited me to come inside and eat dinner with her sisters and we ended up having a date “with the family”. I didn’t mind… dates are costly in New York City. Plus, her mom is a damn good cook!

After spending a couple of holidays, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday’s with Yesenia, I found myself in a situation where I had no idea what to buy her for Christmas (which was right around the corner).  Over the course of two years, I think I had bought her every toy and gadget imaginable…so the only thing I could think to buy her was an engagement ring.

It hit me randomly. I felt that it would top every gift I had ever gotten her.  Plus, it would really show how much I was dying to spend the rest of my life with her.

I thought about asking her to marry me without even discussing it with friends or family input. It was something that I just wanted to do “on my own” with no one else’s opinion.

December 24, 2014, I decided to pop the question in front of her entire family.  Dominicans, we open gifts around midnight so it was the perfect time to just let the entire world know what my expectations were. She immediately said yes!  But, who wouldn’t say yes to a 1 carat…flawless..D Colored…princess cut diamond ring?  We’ve been happily engaged ever since.

It really was one of things where “you just know”. I’m 100% positive I made the right choice :)

Guest Blogger: Gregorio Giovannti