Derek began to notice Sophia more in the months that followed. He sat at the same table as Sophia and her friends at a dinner social one evening after church. Sophia, having forgotten about their brief contact in the past, said something like "Hi! I don't know you! What's your name?" He answered by telling a little about himself. With this small interaction, a burgeoning interest was formed between these two lonely souls.
In January of 2013, Sophia was called as Institute President for the Church's Bakersfield Institute of Religion. Derek was attending the weekly evening classes and nervously asked Sophia on a date after she was introduced as president. He used a pick-up line (asking if she had a boyfriend and, after hearing that she didn't, following up with "Would you like a boyfriend?") and Sophia thought it was the cutest thing ever and agreed to go on a date. They got lunch the next day and talked forever. Derek suggested that they go out again sometime, and Sophia agreed.
In the following weeks they spent time together after institute and after church. Derek asked Sophia to the Hearts on Fire Dance, which was at the end of February. They didn't want to wait that long for their next date, so Sophia asked Derek to hike Tehachapi Mountain with her. On their hike, they discussed their mutual interest and the idea of dating steadily. They went to Sophia's house, played Star Wars Monopoly and decided they would start dating.
After many months, Sophia and Derek began to discuss engagement. Wanting to know Derek's family better, Sophia went to Taft to have dinner with him and his parents. Before dinner, Derek and Sophia went strolling through the hills of Taft. On their way back, Derek turned to Sophia and said, "Well, we're practically engaged already, so we might as well make it official," then proposed with a CTR ring--which is what Sophia wanted! The real engagement ring had to be ordered and resized, so it came later.
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| The engagement ring--it's vintage! |
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| The CTR ring |
