Paws & Tell: Wesley Gets the Scoop

Jenine: I thought he was the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. I told myself, “I’m going to make him fall in love with me.”

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Brian: I thought she was very pretty and out of my league.

Jenine: All. The Time. I always thought “one day,” and never thought “maybe someday.” Not gonna lie, I always knew.​

 

Brian: Yes, all the time. Almost every time we’d hang out when we weren’t dating, and many others could see it too.

Jenine: Man, there are so many! Like when he got my car towed... or that time it got searched by a cop. But my favorite, is our first kiss. I knew there was something special about him ever since.

 

Brian: Somehow convincing me to work at Michael Kors with her during Black Friday weekend at the Leesburg outlet mall. 2nd worst job I’ve ever had, but she was very cute at her checkout computer. Or taking her to an underground street fight organized by our friends. Looking back now, that was a crazy date idea.

Jenine: I’m excited to bug someone who is legally required to love me unconditionally, forever! But really, I’m most excited to travel, buy a home, start a family, and do all the grown-up things together. Yes, I will be THAT soccer mom who DIYs everything.

 

Brian: I’m most excited to experience the big life changes together- buying our first home and making it ours, having kids and raising them together, her admiring me as I mow our lawn… those kinds of things.

Jenine: I’m proud of how far we’ve come and how much we’ve grown, apart and together. We’ve learned how to really communicate and understand each other. I remember once getting scared because of everything we had already been through, and Brian told me, “I feel like the stuff we’ve been through is more than most married people have.” That stuck with me. It reminded me that we’ve already chosen each other through the hard parts, and I know we’ll keep choosing each other through whatever comes next.

 

Brian: I’m most proud of the growth we’ve had together from when we were kids starting to date until now. People change the most between 18 and 28, and we still found ourselves here together as one.

Jenine: Mom did tell you!

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Brian: I think my 2014 self would be surprised to see the success I’ve had, marrying the girl I’m currently dating, doing well in my career, and happy to see my furniture building hobby.

Jenine: We were eating at Popeyes after class one day, and after we finished, he took my tray and threw it away for me. A true gentleman! It was such a small thing, but he stayed that way until now.​

 

Brian: When we went on our first date on September 12, 2014, we met at a shopping center in Sterling before heading to the movies. I was listening to the local country radio, and when she got in my car, she cheerfully said she was listening to the same country station on the way here. All I needed to know was she also loved country music.

Jenine: I was late to class for the first time EVER, and Brian was outside talking to a mutual friend. Apparently being late was meant to be, because I stayed and talked to them anyway. At the end of the conversation, Brian was asking for a number and our friend said, “he actually wants the girl’s number.” A few days later, I called Brian after getting off work early and asked him to hang out. But he was grocery shopping in his pajamas, getting pasta for his mom’s dinner. Instead, he asked me on a real date for that Friday. The rest is history!

 

Brian: The way I got her phone number. Admittedly, I was asking for another friend’s number in that moment. She thought I was asking for hers, and when she gave it to me, I played it off like I was asking for hers the whole time.

Jenine: I hope I remember every single word he vows to me. And honestly, I just want to remember the feeling of looking at him and when I first meet him at the alter and thinking “damn, we made it.”

 

“Alexa, play “You’re Still the One by Shania Twain”

 

Brian: I hope to always remember turning around and seeing her in her white dress for the first time, and watching her walk down the aisle to me.

Jenine: What I love most about Brian is his patience. He always takes the time to hear me out before he responds, or maybe he doesn’t know what to say... But no matter how worked up I get, he somehow stays calm enough for the both of us. Even when I’m yelling, he's still so sweet to me. He has a way of making me feel heard and feel loved through everything. He keeps me safe, and I love him so much for that. Brian deserves to feel as loved and appreciated as he makes me feel, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life being that person to him.

 

Brian: Naming only one thing will be hard. What I love most about my soon to be wife is her kind nature and all the similarities we have with each other. Our values, opinions, lifestyles, and what we want out of life are all aligned, and that makes life exiting to be with her every day.