For Erica Carr and Nicholas Mallick, friendship — and love — came quickly

Erica Carr and Nicholas Mallick

Jan. 25, 2020, in Philadelphia

From the age of 5, Nick knew he would join the Army. He jumped in after high school, and learned to jump out of airplanes. The paratrooper did one tour in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. On that third tour, in 2012, his base was attacked.

“They filled an entire truck with explosives and rammed it into our base,” he remembers. The percussive waves threw Nick into a wall. He ignored the pain in his back. In 2013, a new recruiting assignment sent him back to his native California. In 2016, Nick finally saw a doctor, who gave the sergeant first class the news he had been trying to avoid: Multiple compressed disks meant he was no longer fit for duty. Nick was medically discharged, and devastated.

Having no idea what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, Nick applied for any job he felt qualified for, including a security guard position at Prime Healthcare in Ontario, Calif. The HR person who called back said she was impressed by his resumé and had a different job in mind. Nick became an executive assistant to the then vice president of revenue cycle.

Erica grew up in Northeast Philadelphia’s Morrell Park neighborhood. After graduating from Archbishop Ryan, she took a unit clerk job with Prime Healthcare at Lower Bucks Hospital. In October 2016, her boss invited her to interview for a promotion and help start a new Prime Healthcare location in Denville, N.J. A little nervous about the meeting, Erica walked into the Denville office lost in thought.

Nick had been working on-site for a few days, thought he knew everyone, and did not recognize this woman. Army habits die hard.

“Excuse me,” he said. “Who are you?”

“I’m Erica,” she said. “Erica Carr.”

Nick recognized her name and knew his boss was interviewing her. He also thought she was very pretty. “Oh, OK,” he said. His eyes returned to his work, but his ears were wide open when Erica told another employee that one of her tires needed a patch, but she didn’t have time to deal with it, and hoped adding air would suffice.

“I’ll make an appointment for you to get your tire fixed while you’re here tomorrow,” he offered.

The next day, Sheila offered Erica her current position: director of revenue integrity. Knowing they were returning to their respective states, Nick asked for her number. Thinking it was a work thing, Erica gave it without thought. She was at a Sixers game when Nick’s text landed: “Did you get your tire fixed, Ma’am?”

Swooning over Nick’s thoughtfulness — and perhaps a bit tipsy — Erica showed her friend Sarah his communiqué. “I’m going to marry this man!” she said. “OK, psycho!” said Sarah.

For two weeks, they flirted by text. On Nov. 1, Nick returned to North Jersey to help establish the office. Erica took him to Dalessandro’s for a first-date cheesesteak. They visited the Rocky statue then spent two hours talking and walking around Kelly Drive.

“Things were going so great [that] I invited him to my aunt’s house for dinner, and that didn’t scare him off,” Erica said.

On the contrary, Nick was delighted to meet her Aunt Jackie, her mother, Patrice, her stepfather, Hans, and her siblings, Angela and Connor. “We had such great chemistry and were having such an amazing time, so I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s see where it all goes.’ ”

Every weekday, they worked together and had dinner together. They spent every weekend together. “We went from 0 to 100,” Erica said. “We were in an official relationship by Nov. 11."

Love came quickly, too.

“We can have everything go wrong in our day, and she’s OK just going with the punches,” Nick said admiringly. “She’s funny — she’ll make me laugh like no other. And she’s a kid at heart, who still likes to play and have fun.”

“He makes me smile, and never, ever makes me doubt anything about myself,” said Erica. “I just feel safe with him, and happy. He feels like home.”

The first week in December, Nick returned to California, gave his boss three-weeks’ notice, and put the house he had just closed on in October up for rent.

Erica bought a one-way ticket to California, where she met Nick’s father, James, his Aunt Tina, Uncle Bob, and cousin, Breanna. Then, Erica, Nick, and William the Yorkie drove back across the country to her Trevose apartment.

About eight months later, Nick, who is now 33, and Erica, now 26, moved to Hackettstown in Warren County, N.J. He now works at Picatinny Arsenal as an explosives technician — a civilian position. Erica has since earned a bachelor’s in health administration and a master’s in business administration from Western Governors University.

Nick used airline miles to take Erica to Punta Cana for her March 2018 birthday.

He told her they were going to a special restaurant, then veered toward someone on the beach, saying he had to ask for directions. Erica could see they were setting up a table. “Oh, this guy!” Erica thought to herself. “He’s trying to surprise me with dinner on the beach for my birthday!”

Before they reached the spot, Nick stopped walking.

“What are you doing, man?” Erica asked. “I’m hungry! Let’s go!”

Then she noticed candles stuck in the sand, outlining a big heart. Inside the heart were the words, “Marry Me!”

Erica full-on ugly cried. Nick knelt on the sand and asked the question. She said yes, and they celebrated with the dinner she’d predicted.

The couple were married by the Rev. John Donia, Erica’s high school religion teacher, in a traditional Catholic ceremony at St. Augustine’s Church near Old City. Her late grandparents, John and Annamarie, who helped raise her, were included in the prayers of the faithful. A locket with their pictures was tied to Erica’s bouquet.

The reception for 190 was held at the Cescaphe Ballroom. Behind the couple’s sweetheart table was a fallen-comrade table in honor and memory of Nick’s friends who lost their lives, and all fallen U.S. soldiers.

The bride’s sister’s toast brought down the house. After proclaiming Erica the very best big sister and telling Nick she loves him, too, Angela told him there is a no-return policy and he’s stuck with Erica. Erica’s mom and brother then joined Angela for a family rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

Erica spent the moments right before the ceremony watching Nick through the gap between the church’s double doors. Then, the doors opened and as her mother walked her down the aisle toward him, she thought, “Oh my God. I’m going to marry this person who I knew was right for me the moment we connected.”

After the cake-cutting, Nick, a bit of an introvert, took a moment alone to absorb everything. From a bridal suite window overlooking the reception, he saw his new wife dancing and having an amazing time. “To see how happy she was, to know I was able to give her exactly what she wanted, that was my favorite part,” he said.

Bargains: The bride’s uncle owns a photo booth. The venue and DJ gave a winter-season discount, and using the venue’s florist shop partner, Beautiful Blooms, also yielded savings.

A splurge: Dollars saved elsewhere funded a photography budget bump for Alex Schon, whose work the bride had been stalking on Instagram. “I would go over my budget for him any day,” she said.

Two spring weeks in Dubai and the Maldives, where Nick looks forward to diving and Erica to watching the sun set over the Indian Ocean from their villa, drinks in hand.

Behind the scenes:

Officiant: The Rev. John Donia, Downingtown, Pa.

Ceremony: St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, Philadelphia.

Reception venue and food: Cescaphe Ballroom, Philadelphia.

Music: St. Augustine’s. musicians and DJ John Alexander, Powered by Eclipse, Philadelphia

Photography: Alex Schon Photography, Philadelphia.

Photo booth: Phlash Photo Booths, Philadelphia.

Flowers: Beautiful Blooms, Philadelphia.

Bride’s attire: Designed by Allure, purchased at Ashley’s Bridal in Warminster, Pa.

Groom’s attire: Ashley’s Bridal.

Hair/Makeup: Capelli & Trucco, Philadelphia. https://www.capelliandtrucco.com/

Transportation: Cescaphe Trolley, Philadelphia.