Derek and I met while in San Angelo, TX. He was stationed there for extra training at Goodfellow AFB.
I was at the "Horseshoe" one day in May hanging out at the water with some friends that were Marines and stationed there as well. This was in the weeks before my graduation from High School so I was trying to have a good time.
There was a guy there, Derek, who was wearing Jeans and a regular shirt, which was pretty peculiar for a Marine not to try and show himself off. He was also very quiet. For the majority of the time I first knew him, I made fun of him for being so strange.
Later on, we were at a party and a friend of ours told us to kiss. At first, I was a little put off to the idea. I didn't know him well, nor did I really care to. But when Derek shrugged and seemed more disinterested than I did, I was up for the challenge.
We shared a short kiss and my heart stopped.
I had butterflies.
I didn't see him for a while after that. Almost a month, to be exact.
Regardless, I couldn't get him off my mind. A mutual friend convinced him to come with us on the night of July 3, 2008 and hang out at the beach off the lake. After laughing and talking and getting to know each other a little better, Derek took my hand and nodded towards a stretch of beach and said, "Come on. Walk with me." He smiled. I melted.
We walked and I tried to avoid the burs in the ground.
When we finally walked as far as the man-made beach would allow, Derek and I stood with each other, dancing a little bit. Then it all got quiet and the world seemed to slow down.
When we kissed, several stars shot across the sky and someone began setting off fireworks. And I got butterflies again.
I still do.

Unfortunately, he finished his training at Goodfellow and was sent to Camp Pendleton, CA about a month before I went off to college in Savannah, GA. An entire country separated us, but we talked every night as though nothing had changed.
When I made plans to fly out to California once the Fall quarter ended, he began a count down of the days until I got there.
When I got to California, I knew that I wanted to be with him forever.
He was mine, and I was his.

My mother and I had the feeling he was going to ask me to marry him, because he had already asked me to stay in California with him. But I never knew when or if he was actually going to do it.
So one day, Derek had to go to the JRC to get his ID fixed for whatever reason. I stayed in the car because I was really tired and didn't feel that great. Derek, just like always, would get his number, figure out the wait, and come back out to the car and sit with me while we waiting for him to be helped.
He did this several times until finally, he got into the car real quiet as I had just fallen asleep.
I woke up when I heard his door shut. Smiling I leaned over and kissed him.
He was acting a little strange and even more quiet than usual.
I asked him what was up and he began rambling.
He said, "So, you need medical, right? I mean, Prime. I know you have Standard already. But things would be easier if you had Prime health care. Right?" I nodded yes, not quite sure where he was going with this.
He kept stumbling over his words trying to find the courage to ask and finally, after about five minutes of verbally justifying that it was okay to ask, he said, "So, would you want to get married to me?"
My heart stopped and I couldn't help but smile. I felt like crying, but my brain was so shocked it couldn't tell my eyes to produce tears. I didn't know what to say and being quiet made Derek feel even more nervous so I went along with his train of thought.
I said, "Well, it would only make sense, right?" I beamed and he grinned as he let out a sigh of relief.

We were engaged.