Our Story

In 1985 the Esch family, moved from their home in Minnesota to South Florida. There, in middle school, Erik met a boy named Luke Adams who would become his life-long friend. As fate would have it, Luke eventually moved to Charlotte, NC just before his senior year of high school. At his new school, Luke met a cool girl named Heather (that’s me). They quickly became very close friends. While no romantic relationship transpired, they kept in close contact while they went to different colleges. All the while, Erik and Luke also kept in touch, visiting each other regularly, it was only a matter of time until Erik and Heather's paths crossed. In early 2001, Erik and his friend Jenny (Ally) Krystofiak came to visit Luke at his first apartment in Charlotte. Of course, Luke invited me to meet his friends. I observed Erik to be a very nice boy, but nothing particularly earth shaking happened.

Over the next few years, Luke and I visited Erik several times in Florida. In November, 2004, Luke and I traveled to south Florida for the Clemson/Miami football game. Luke and I stayed with Erik and his family. It wasn't but a few short hours into the trip that I decided that Erik was quite possibly the most adorable and sweet boy I'd ever met. Even Luke and Jenny noticed that Erik and I were sitting a little close, laughing loudly and generally paying a little more than causal attention to each other. Luke commented to me once on the way back to the car after seeing a movie "What? are you guys soul mates or something?" I told Luke I was in love. On the flight home, I told Luke I was going to marry Erik. He laughed and gave me the same "you're crazy" look I've seen many, many times.

The next two years I spent adoring Erik from afar. I regularly sent him Christmas cards and kept up with him through Luke and Jenny. I referred to him as "my sweet baboo". Word got out of my secret obsession, but Erik was always politely indifferent.

That was until late summer, 2006. Luke changed his cell phone number. One warm summer Friday afternoon, Erik called me to get Luke's new’s new number. After I finished jumping up and down and squealing with delight, I engaged Erik in a cool and casual conversation, making sure to get his new email address. Several days of witty-banter back and forth online, gave way to 6 hours a night on the phone. My heart fluttered with each email and text message. We still had no definition of a relationship. Until finally, Erik admitted that he didn't know what was going on with "us" but that he looked forward to talking to me everyday. I melted. A few weeks later I got a phone call from Erik asking me to do a favor for him. "Of course! Anything!" I said laying sweaty on my bed after coming back from the gym. He asked if I could come pick him up from the airport. AGHH!!! He flew up to surprise me! (Just 2 short weeks before his already planned trip up to visit Luke for his birthday). The weekend of a Price family reunion no less. He meant business. We were both head over heals for each other. The whirlwind romance continues. We spend as much time together as possible, since Erik still lives in Florida. Erik plans to move to North Carolina in May of this year.

Erik came to visit over the Christmas holiday. His flight on the night of the 22nd was delayed several hours. The morning of the 23rd we had a lot of preparations for Christmas with my mom's family to tend to. I flipped on the Christmas tree lights and Erik asked "What’s that on your Christmas tree?" I couldn’t see what he was talking about. So he asked again and I was completely oblivious to the beautiful ring sitting right there tucked in a box on a limb right in front of my face. After about the third time I asked him "what?" he pointed at the box. I squealed! He got on one knee. I said yes.

The Beginning.