Our Story
Our story began in the 90s as kids when we’d see each other at events our parents would take us to. One such momentous event was Ray’s sister Nadia’s Sweet 16. This was the moment Ray says he fell in love with the girl in the red striped dress at the age of 11. She didn’t notice him in the same way or even speak to him. After that, the girl of his dreams disappeared from his sight and he didn’t see her for a few years later.
To his delight, the girl reappeared at his cousins house when they were young teenagers. Overhearing a conversation she was having about the original social media for teens of that era- AOL, he quickly jumped in and blurted out-
You have AOL? What’s your screen name?
Well Magica106 and rV iN nJ formed a long distance friendship connected via AOL and would spend afternoons chatting as friends with a mutual secret crush on each other.
Alea lived in NYC and Ray lived in New Jersey so their paths could only cross when they saw each other at events or a few adventurous excursions to meet with their friends at an agreed time at Virgin Records Store in Times Square to see TRL at MTV Studios.
Always the brains of the operation, Alea would coach this small town Jersey boy for weeks on how to travel to the Big Apple along a vast network of buses and subways. Scared and unsure he would make the long journey. Sometimes he got lost and did not make the connection as Alea and her friends wandered aimlessly around Soho angry that they had been “stood up.” As confused teens, they would get their signals crossed when Ray asked Alea to go to his prom with him over the phone. Knowing she was not allowed to go on a date, she declined and hung up the phone crying.
Always shy and embarrassed when he would see her, Ray would watch her from afar as he attended her Sweet 16. His shyness was confused as aloof and rejecting and he didn’t dare to dance with her despite being encouraged by his aunt to do so.
Off to college out of state, Alea said goodbye to her crush with both of them disappointed and confused by each other. Brokenhearted, Alea vowed to her cousin that she planned on hating Ray “forever.” As the years went by, Ray kept up contact every few years to try to get back in her good graces. Only to be rebuffed by Alea who never thought he was serious.
After college, he’d message, from AOL now moved onto Facebook, “Alea where are you? You said you were going to marry me!”
She thought this was a joke but he was serious. They moved on with their lives apart from each other in different cities and despite appearances, neither married. This is the first marriage for both Ray and Alea and they are delighted to be reunited with their first loves. Reconnected many years later and not to be rebuffed, Ray found the girl he had since been dreaming of and waiting so patiently to marry and asked her to be his wife. Our childhood dreams have come true and we are married but there is yet some unfinished business. Ray still has to take Alea to prom and dance with her! So we welcome you all to attend our Class of 2002 Reunion Prom WEDDING reception on October 15, 2022.
