Any small part of Stephen Humble who had doubts about an adult kickball league didn’t take long to fade away. He remembers standing on the sidelines during a game and seeing Melissa turn around and looked in his direction, which gave him a new zest for Waka Kickball that he didn’t know he had.
A couple weeks later, they had their first date at Prima in Walnut Creek, which gave way to nearly seven full years of love and friendship. As much as Melissa blew Stephen away the first time he saw her, she keeps finding new ways to get his attention by being the kind and loving person she is.
“When she turned around, I immediately thought she was absolutely gorgeous,” Stephen said. From that moment on I knew joining kickball was a good idea and I wanted to get to know her.”
They got to know each other over a meal at a restaurant, which wasn’t a familiar experience for Melissa, who had Stephen order for both of them off a menu written in Italian. But since then, she has come to love those dining experiences at least as much as Stephen, which he holds up as an example for her ability to compromise and share experiences.
The two of them have also taken countless trips together, including a July 4th adventure to Tahoe and four total visits to New York City, which is where Stephen proposed on Aug. 25, 2019. They also love to revisit her family’s history in Mexico with visits to her father Arnulfo’s hometown of Nicolas Bravo.
Through all their time together, including 18 months of marriage, Stephen has known Melissa to be nothing but kind, generous, honest and easy-going.
“She is just a good person,” Stephen said. “She prioritizes her friends and is very giving. She is always very thoughtful with her words and her actions. If she says something, she means it, and I really appreciate that about her. If more people acted the way she does, people would be a lot nicer to each other.”
Family remains the most important thing to both Stephen and Melissa, who has a deep and loving relationship with her parents, Arnulfo and Maria, along with her brothers David and Noel and her two nieces Jasmine and Marissa. Hard work is another constant theme in Melissa’s life, especially since she combines an incredible work ethic with undeniable talent and trustworthiness.
Stephen counts himself among the many who have been impacted in a positive way by Melissa in all of those unique ways. He has never had any doubts, from the moment he saw her to now, and is also positive that she has helped him become a better person simply by watching her in action.
“She checked all of the boxes while we were dating,” Stephen said. “She is college-educated and career-oriented. She has a great relationship with her family, and she is stunningly beautiful. I knew right away I couldn’t let her go or mess anything up because I would regret it.
“Over the years I have known Melissa, she has made me a kinder, more relaxed person. I try to keep a level head and even keel like she does in all aspects of life. I strive to do things to make her happy because she does thoughtful things for me.”
To Stephen, being with Melissa means always having an equal partner who loves her family, respects others and has kindness and compassion. It’s an incredible life they have built together, and Stephen can’t wait to see what’s in store for a future with Melissa by his side.
“I love her,” he said. “I love the life we have and I look forward to the years ahead. She is an incredible woman and I am so lucky to have met her. I can’t imagine my life without her, and I love the fact we have spent so much time together in close quarters during the pandemic and we still love each other so much.”
