Two days after we went tubing, I developed the worst sun burn I've ever had in my entire life. In fact, I haven't really ever burned since. I rarely wear sunscreen because I have my skin is naturally a little bit darker (it's the Boricua (translation: Puerto Rican) in me). But, that time, I burned and I burned bad. My entire back started peeling. So when I saw Evan on line, I immediately IM'd him and the conversation went something like this:
Cristina: Evan, you jerk!
Evan: what did I do?
Cristina: because of your invitation to the river, I burned so badly! I'm peeling! It sucks!
Evan: haha. Oh Cristina, I love you. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. I want you to have my babies!
Ok ok...maybe I exaggerated that a tad bit huh? In all seriousness, that night Evan and I chatted online for over 3 hours. Somehow, we managed to talk about everything: politics, religion, our hobbies, and our families. It was the first serious conversation we had ever managed to have with each other and mid way through I think we both realized "holy crap...why haven't we been dating all this time?"
When we finally had to say good bye for the night Evan typed to me that he thought completely differently of me than before the conversation. I asked him if this opinion change was for the better or made things worse and he immediately said "much better." The next night, I got online again hoping and praying Evan would be online too. Before I could even see if his name appeared on the screen he IM'd me a big "Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!" It seems like somebody had been waiting to talk with me all day. Since that first conversation, we have never gone a day without speaking in some way.
A few nights later we went to a pool party at someone's house. Evan picked Kourtney (one of my best friends ever) and I up and took us to the party. While at the party, I definitely played hard to get, but wherever I went Evan would be right at my side. Now mind you, up to this point, we hadn't even held hands. I was in the pool and Evan came up beside me and ever so gently placed his hand on my lower back. It was like my entire body went numb. I had never felt like that when somebody touched me. I was hooked. Utterly and completely hooked.
When the party was over, he dropped Kourtney off at her house and then dropped me off. I was so nervous. This could be it...the moment of the first kiss! I prepped my lips by biting on them so they would look nice and red, I ran my tongue over them so they'd look shiny and appealing. He walked me to the door, said good night, and turned around. And ... that was that. Evan told me later that he sat in his car afterwards beating himself up for not having kissed me. He said he just got too darn nervous.
The next day Evan decided to come visit me at the kitchen store where I used to work over the summer. I decided he had missed his chance to give the first kiss. I was going for it! I was going to kiss him! When he came in to the store, I took his hand and walked him to the back of the store (there was a little storage room). As we were walking back, Evan asked me "What are we going back here for?" Oh man...men are freaking clueless! I was trying to put some moves on him and he had no earthly idea!
I quickly turned around and gave him a kiss. His hands were shaking. It was a short, sweet, and gentle and amazing first kiss. When we finished our kiss Evan looked at me and said "oooh...that's why we were coming back here." HAHA. Just so you know, I didn't leave the store completely unattended. There were two of us working and she was watching the front for the two seconds of the kiss. Looking back on it, I was the worlds worst worker huh? Fortunately that kiss solidified and molded what would be the most important aspect of my life. On June 7, 2002, I kissed the man I ended up marrying. Probably the best decision I've ever made.
I think Evan finally got some courage after this and leaned in to give me a second kiss. As we're leaning in, lips puckered, eyes closing we heard a huge knock at the door. UPS guy! You have got to be kidding me. It's ok...we've made up for it with millions of kisses after that.
And there you have it. After that kiss, we were always "Cristina and Evan." He met my family soon thereafter and immediately my family loved him. I went over to his house really soon too. His Mom told me the night that we got engaged that Evan told her not too much longer after that first kiss that I was the one for him. And deep in my heart, I knew it really soon too. Here is the first picture that anyone ever took of us together. Evan came to my parents lakehouse on quite a few occasions that summer and my parents loved having such a good helper, eater, and swimmer around the house. My Mom snapped this shot of us. I have it in a frame in our house so that we always remember how long our love has lasted and all that it has endured.
When you know, you just know...even when you're 17.
I love you Evan.
This is too sweet. Love it.
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