Rocky and McKayla’s journey together began all the way back in 1999 when they were just 3 years old. McKayla became best friends with Rocky’s older sister, Evona, in preschool, and they discovered that they lived just down the street from each other. From then on, the two families became inseparable, spending countless hours together at gymnastics classes, vacation Bible school, and lazy summer days by the pool. In fact, Rocky even played the role of McKayla’s Prince Charming at her 4th birthday party!

 

However, life took them in different directions when McKayla’s family moved to Cypress, and the two families lost touch over the years.

 

Fast forward 15 years—After driving by the old Markanian family home a few times, Lori decided to stop by and see if they still lived there. As luck would have it, Joanne was home, and the two quickly reconnected after years apart. During their catch-up, Lori mentioned that McKayla was interested in joining a real estate office in California, and Joanne happily mentioned that she and Rocky had an real estate office and would love to have McKayla come in and see if it would be a good fit for her career.

 

A few weeks later, McKayla stopped by the office to meet Joanne—and that’s when she and Rocky saw each other again for the first time in years. After reconnecting, Rocky invited McKayla to hang out and catch up, which led to their first “date” at Stubrik’s. What was supposed to be a casual evening of pool and drinks quickly turned into hours of laughter and easy conversation. Before long, they were hanging out more and more, and it wasn’t until their 5th or 6th outing that McKayla made the first move with a kiss, confirming that they were more than just friends. After six months of dating, Rocky asked McKayla to be his girlfriend during a cruise to Ensenada. From that moment on, they both knew they shared something special—and they’ve been inseparable ever since.

 

Fast forward two and a half years, and Rocky took McKayla’s breath away when he proposed on the beach in Laguna. McKayla couldn’t say "yes" fast enough, and the two are now excited to begin this next chapter of their lives together.