Our Love Story 

It all began with a broken air conditioner. READ THAT AGAIN! Not the most romantic of beginnings, but then again, love rarely arrives wrapped in ribbons. My car's AC had been out of commission for months, a relentless inconvenience in the Caribbean heat. I’d thrown money at it—hundreds of dollars, only to be met with excuses and return visits from a local shop that couldn’t tell me the issue. After my third frustrating appointment, I decided I was done. That’s when a good friend made a suggestion: "Try this other place in town."

Tired, skeptical, and over it, I decided to give it one last try. That’s where I met him—Ransel.

The details of that day are a blur, but I remember explaining I had no energy left for this issue, no money to waste, but it needed to be fixed. Ransel, however, remembers it clearly. He remembers my black sundress. He says the first thing he noticed was how beautiful I was.

He checked the car and quickly diagnosed the problem as an electrical issue. Then, he casually mentioned he did electrical work on weekends at his garage. I took his number, excited that someone seemed to know what they were doing. There was relief in that.

A few days later, we met again. He fixed the issue, and we talked while he worked. Just a little, but enough for me to tell my friend afterward, “He’s handsome, and he’s so nice.” I can identify a genuine person when I meet one.

But a week later, the AC still wasn’t blowing as cold as it should. So, I brought my car back to him. He told me I’d need a part replaced. I sighed, told him I’d reach out when I was ready. It was May, and the semester had just ended. I decided to park the car for the summer and deal with it later.

By August, St. Thomas was hot. The kind of heat that makes a broken AC feel like a personal betrayal. I knew I had to call Ransel—but I’d lost his number. I told myself I needed to find him again. I went back to the shop. And there he was, stepping from behind a car with the biggest smile. I smiled back, relieved, grateful, and happy. He gave me his number again, and we started texting.

He told me to come by Sunday. That day, I went to his garage, and he got to work on my car while we talked. The kind of talk that didn’t need a final destination. Even moments of silence felt comfortable. When he finished, I asked for the total. Instead of a number, he smiled and said, “I’d just like the chance to take you on a date.”

I laughed, caught off guard but also taken aback. I thought, how could I say no to this sweet, humble man? So, I said yes.

We picked a date.

That week, I questioned it. I started my final year in school. Was this really the time to be dating? I asked a friend, and she simply said, “Give that man a chance.” So, I did.

We went out for tacos that night, and everything just... flowed. Easy. Natural. Like we’d known each other for years. It felt right for both of us.

From that night on, we were inseparable.

Things moved quickly, but to us, it felt like every piece was falling into place exactly as it should. And to think, it all began with a broken air conditioner. We know God makes no mistakes when he joins two people together. It doesn’t matter the place, the situation, nor the time— it was fate. Now, we can’t wait until the day we say forever.