Erin Taylor, 20, and Michael Selva, 24, of St. Petersburg. Married April 29, 2012.
Mikey held Erin's hands and showed her how to box step on the dance floor during one slow song at their friend's party. They made small talk, and then the subject of age arose.
"So, how old are you?" Mikey, 18, asked.
"Thirteen," she replied.
The song ended.
"Well, it was nice to meet you!" Mikey said, hurrying off.
Yikes, he thought.
He definitely didn't look 18, she thought.
Three years later, Erin saw Mikey at another party. When she introduced herself, she realized he had forgotten her. That conversation quickly disintegrated.
A year and a half passed, and Erin's guy was taking her to St. Petersburg's State Theatre for a Senses Fail concert. He was so eager to get to the front of the crowd that he ended up ditching Erin. All alone, she wandered to the bar.
Mikey was standing there with a friend. She introduced herself again. This time, he remembered. He asked for her number.
Months later, she graduated from Northeast High School, Class of 2010. As a gift, Mikey took her to see her favorite band, Dashboard Confessional, open for Bon Jovi at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. When he handed her the tickets, she was touched at how much he had paid for the nosebleed seats. During the show, he gave her a yellow glass paperweight he had brought back from a recent trip to Hawaii. He found it in a little shop in Maui and thought of her.
"I'm sorry I couldn't get you anything nicer," he said. "But I knew yellow was your favorite color." Erin was reeling. He was the sweetest guy she had ever known.
In November 2011, Erin and her friend Chelsea got fancy and went to Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club in Hyde Park, Erin's favorite restaurant. When the door opened, Mikey was standing there with a dozen red roses. He proposed, with their parents and close friends there to witness.
Loading...