in May of 2019 (whoop), after graduating from Texas A&M University (whoop), Chris moved to Dallas for a job and began attending mass at Mater Dei. one Sunday after mass, it was springtime, Jacinta turned to me and said: "hey that's Chris Breuer". I looked at her confused and responded: "who?" she explained how Chris was from Houston and had joined us on many COOL group adventures; I didn't remember. I was seventeen, I didn't always attend the meetings and I also wasn't interested in meeting people of any sorts. my focus was Europe: working two jobs while finishing up my senior year of high school, people weren't my concern. on that Sunday after mass as we walked into the cafeteria she approached Chris and introduced us. there was no mischievous intention, she's social and wanted to reconnect.
in the following summer, we would hang out in the same group of friends or talk after mass, slowly building a friendship. he wasn't interested in pursuing me nor was I interested in being pursued: I had sworn off men. he remembers one particular afternoon, as a group of us were standing outside talking that I made a comment that struck him. the conversation was about friendship and our end goal, and I remarked that we aren't just called to get to heaven, we're called to bring others to heaven with us. he smiled and knew he wanted his future wife to think like that (he wasn't thinking me).
with March of 2020 everything changed. it did for everyone and so did our friendship alter. of the many things the pandemic taught me, one was the importance of true, authentic friendships. it showed me who my true friends were and who I should invest my time in. with everything closed, our friendship was on halt. he did message me (or as the kids say these days, slid into my DM's) a few times but I rarely carried on a conversation because I wasn't interested. as things began to open up, he would always make an intention to be near me and converse. I enjoyed our conversations but didn't think anything of it (incase you don't already know, I'm as clueless as they come). our friendship grew and we spent much time together along with mutual friends. I thought we were just friends, he had other ideas.
after daily mass, on a hot July day, we spent an hour or so talking. I had to go shopping for bridesmaids shoes (my best friend was getting married!). as I was to leave he asked me if I would like to go on a date with him. though slightly hesitant, I eventually replied “sure” after a minute. or two. or five. nevertheless, Chris arrived promptly for our first date, and we spent the afternoon hiking and eating Chick-Fil-A. within the first few minutes of our hike, I bluntly stated to Chris “you dress like a dad”. to which he responded, “you know what they say, ‘dress for the job you want not the job you have’.” Chris was persistent in his pursuit and we began building a deeper friendship.
as time went on, our friendship developed into a profound love. one cold December afternoon, Chris admitted his love, and as always, patiently waited for my reply. which, eventually I reciprocated. through the time that followed, Chris and I knew nothing would bring us more joy then living our lives out together through the sacrament of matrimony. on another hot July day, Chris found himself asking me if I would go on a date with him, but this time, for the rest of our lives. there was no hesitation but eager agreement.
and so our story began...
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