08/04/2026
The Day I met Claires Fiancé - June 09, 2023
I remember getting a call from Claire telling me she was in love and that she wanted me to meet her boyfriend.
Every father's worst nightmare... or so I thought.
Before I ever met him, I had already convinced myself that I wasn't going to like him—no matter how good of a young man he turned out to be. That's just the protective father in me.
But Claire knew exactly what she was doing. She carefully laid the groundwork before I ever stepped on a plane. She told me they had gone to the same high school. Their mothers shared the same first name. They had the same birthday, were the same age, and were both incredible athletes. Then she delivered what she knew would get my attention:
"Dad... he loves football."
Now she had my attention.
On June 9, 2023, I flew to El Paso to honor my daughter's request and meet the love of her life.
Eric introduced himself with a firm handshake.
PASS.
Then he proudly told me he was a Chargers fan.
HUGE FAIL.
He took us to one of his favorite restaurants.
PASS.
Then we went bowling.
PASS.
By the end of the day, our schedule was packed with one adventure after another, but the highlight was axe throwing.
That's when things got interesting.
Claire's competitive spirit suddenly took over. She started slinging axes like she'd been training in the woods her entire life. Bullseye after bullseye. At one point, I was convinced Paul Bunyan himself had possessed my daughter. She wasn't just throwing axes—she was putting on a clinic.
As entertaining as the competition was, it wasn't what I'll remember most about that day.
What stayed with me was watching Claire and Eric together.
The way they laughed.
The way they encouraged each other.
The way they looked at one another.
The chemistry between them was effortless. It was genuine. It was beautiful.
As a father, I went to El Paso expecting to inspect a young man who wanted to date my daughter.
Instead, I left knowing I had met someone who truly loved her.
HUGE PASS.