Our Love Story
From the First Hello to Forever
Our love story begins in June 2019 with a boy from South Georgia mustering up the courage to ask the most beautiful women he has ever seen to be his partner in a game of pool against his father and brother. We were in a dive bar, The Kraken, on the PCH in a quintessential Southern California beach town - - Cardiff, CA. Neither of us had ever been to The Kraken. Divine intervention? Karma? Fate?
Her answer to my invitation to play pool: “I don’t know how to play”. Strike one. Now what do I do? Well, suffice it to say, I convinced her she would have fun, and that we would win. Thankfully both of my predictions hit their mark (David and Dad were losers - - hehe). We spent the rest of the evening dancing to live music and getting to know each other. But as the night was coming to a close, I was trying to come up with an idea to see her again. So, I managed to convince her we should exchange phone numbers. And . . .
The next day, I invited Marché to my family’s bar-b-q at my sister’s house to celebrate my niece’s (Sarah) high school graduation. I was elated and shocked when she said yes. She was brave enough to meet my entire family on our turf. I knew instantly I had met a special woman. She graciously and effortlessly fit right in with my family. It was almost as if we had know each other for years.
We ended up spending all weekend together. We shared coffee and donuts at her favorite neighborhood coffee house and enjoyed a long stroll alongside the Pacific. We talked about our love of music, sports, outdoor activities, religion, and as hard as I tried, I could not convince her to talk about politics (I’m still trying to figure out her leanings).
The weekend was quickly coming to an end, and I was soon to be heading back to Atlanta. Would I ever see her again? I decided to hide a note for her to find after I was gone. It simply said she has a kind heart and a beautiful soul, and I hoped I would be able to see her again.
Thankfully, the note landed softly on her heart. And, thus, our long-distance romance began. We took turns criss-crossing the country to spend time with each other. For all of you who know Marché, it will not surprise you to learn she took great pride in exposing me to all the wonderful venues Southern California has to offer. I mean, this woman can plan with the best of them. Me, on the other hand, not so much. I’m not sure we ventured out of my 10-mile radius Buckhead bubble for several years. And for the benefit of everyone who knows Marché - - good grief this woman is competitive. One beautiful spring afternoon in Atlanta, she challenged me to a 100-yard footrace during one of our leisurely strolls alongside my favorite Chattahoochee River trail. I just laughed at her - - out loud - - to her face. Strike two. I mean, how is smoking her in a foot race in front of hundreds of people going to benefit me? So, I told her she could have a head start. Wait for it . . . I lost. Sooooo, I demanded a rematch with no head start. And . . . I lost, again?!?!?! And then after a 3rd attempt . . . I lost again to the delight of the same 100+ people (mostly women, the guys were just shaking their heads in a manner that said “dude, how could you let this happen?”) cheering and applauding my humiliatingly public beat down.
I fell in love with Marche’s love for life, her positive energy, her strong independence, her fierce loyalty to family and friends, her intellect, her wit and humor, and her nurturing side. She constantly puts others first. She always sees the best in people, and she draws the best out of them. She checked every box for me. What she sees in me, I’m not sure. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for a glimpse of the crazy to peek its little head above water. And I’m still waiting.
Our relationship took a giant leap forward when she decided to move to Nashville, just a short 3.5-hour drive. I spent the weekend with her searching for her new home in Nashville. An unexpected massive snowstorm hit Nashville that weekend. The entire city shut down. It was magical. Although, at one point, she questioned if the weather was a bad omen - - karma telling her this was not her place. Thankfully, I convinced her otherwise. I like to think I affected karma a little bit when I wrote with my finger in the snow, “John loves Marché”. I definitely won a couple of brownie points with that one.
Our last several years have consisted of many ups and downs, but mostly “ups” thanks to her. As I said before, she brings out the best of a person. She has been my rock through some trying times. And most importantly, she has been my partner, my best friend, my true love, creating some of the most wonderful times of my life.
Once I finally screwed my head back on, I knew I had to spend the rest of my life with her. I wanted to give as much joy to her as she had to me.
Fast forward to November 19, 2024. We were on O’ahu for her sister’s (Jenae) wedding. After the wedding, we had several days left on our visit. Marché took great pride in showing me her homeland, exposing me to her heritage and culture. One afternoon we went for a hike on her favorite trail, The Lanikai Pillbox Trail. I knew beforehand, this was where I was going to ask her to be my wife. But, I had to wait several days for this hike. The pressure was building and unrelenting. When we finally reached the peak of the hike, we had a beautiful 270-degree panoramic view of the Pacific and the island. The setting was perfect. She was soaking in the beauty of the moment while I was sweating bullets. We had the peak view to ourselves, but only briefly because a large group of hikers were quickly approaching us. I desperately wanted her to follow me to a secluded area a few yards away, so I walked off and left her on top of one of the pillboxes. She yelled, “hey, you aren’t going to even help me down”? Great. Strike three. I better take my shot before I’m thrown out of the game.
As she walked over, a little miffed, understandably, I asked her, “is this your favorite place on earth”? She said, “yes.?.?” I said, “well, you know what would make this my favorite place too”? I dropped to one knee, pulled an engagement ring out of my pocket, and asked her, “will you marry me”?
Marché and I look forward to seeing you all at our favorite place on earth, O’ahu, on April 23, 2026.
