Our Story

Some say there’s no love like your first love. I say that’s stupid. There’s no love like your last love, and that’s what we are for each other.

The first time we met was… in jail. Thankfully, not as inmates!

I, Gabrielle, had been working there for a couple of years when Alec walked in, brand new to the job. I remember thinking he was a handsome, rugged statuesque of a man, but I did not pay him much attention. Meanwhile, I, Alec, thought Gabrielle was this little blonde-haired smoke show who, in all honesty, was intimidating. I would definitely hold up a bank just to be jailed by her, that’s for sure. Despite both of our attractions, we didn’t make any moves…not yet.

Following this, we went our separate ways, rarely crossing paths for a couple of years. Despite this, we remained at the back of each other’s minds. It wasn’t until the jail got so short-handed that patrol had to pick up some of the slack that our journey truly began.

In June of 2024, before I was to be promoted, I volunteered to work some of the jail shifts, and, as fate or just pure dumb luck would have it, Gabby was working those same shifts.

What began as brief conversations about work nuances evolved into deep, meaningful conversations. The intimidating facade that Gabby had maintained up until that point slowly began to slip. What I had come to realize is that Gabby was really a fun-loving girl—as interesting and as weird as I am, while Gabby came to realize that I was a mature, faith-oriented man who is not only smooth, but the steady presence she’d been praying for.

A few shifts later, we both found ourselves genuinely looking forward to seeing each other at work. Alec made me laugh constantly, and Gabby made the long work hours bearable. During one shift, Alec insisted on doing pat searches during cell inspections—something the inmates weren’t used to. Alec ended up pulling multiple corn dogs out of one guy’s socks, and I laughed so hard I started calling him Corn Dog. Not long after, I brought in Chamoy Pickle Kits for everyone—a strange combo of pickles, fruit roll-ups, chamoy, gushers, and more. Alec bravely finished his and started calling me Pickle. Thus, the adventures of Pickle and Corn Dog began.

Our time working together created some unforgettable moments. One intense situation showed us that we could depend on each other. An inmate had jammed her fingers in a door hinge, refusing to let us close it. It was chaotic and stressful. In the middle of it, Alec nearly slipped in her urine. I caught his arm just in time—saving his life (you’re welcome, Alec).

On Alec’s last day in the jail, I was surprisingly sad. I asked if he wanted my gamertag. He said yes, but I had a feeling he might lose it—so I chased him down and gave him my phone number instead.

Naturally, Alec waited for what felt like weeks to text me. When he finally did, it was to play Call of Duty. We started gaming together, and at one point, when I got attacked, Alec rushed in to save me—only for his character to start spinning uncontrollably. His internet lagged. Just as he declared we were “even” for saving each other’s lives, he got shot through a window, followed by me. We logged off laughing.

A few days later, he remembered something I had said in the jail—that I loved night walks. He asked if I wanted to go on one. We walked, uninterrupted for once, talking about life, our pasts, and our hopes for the future. The night ended with us sitting in the bed of his truck, just watching the stars. He was kind, respectful, and present.

Our first official date was not long after, and love quickly followed.

A year has gone by since then, and through thick and thin, sickness and health, trial and tribulation, we have stuck together; never once wavering. The spark that had been, now a raging inferno that marriage and the rest of our lives together could only satisfy.

God wrote our story far better than we ever could have.