"I could hear my heart getting crushed" - Kike Hernandez recalls waiting for now-wife Mariana Vicente break up with boyfriend to start relationship

Kike Hernandez and his wife, Mariana Vicente, were friends before they started dating. They found each other through social media when the free agent utility man reached out to Mariana after watching her movie "Hot Tub Time Machine 2." After chatting online for a couple of months, they finally met in person.

In the latest episode of "The Shop," Hernandez and Vicente were interviewed about how they started dating. Interestingly, Hernandez revealed that Mariana had a boyfriend when they first met.

"I waited two long months to meet her in person," Hernandez said. "I came to LA for the exhibition series, the free race series against the Angels. We had two days off between that and opening day, so we met up at the Grove at the farmer's market."

"It was my first time in LA, and I didn’t know that was a friendzone spot. But we went to lunch, and the first thing she said to me was 'my boyfriend,' and I could literally feel my heart getting crushed at that moment. I was like, 'You couldn't tell me you had a boyfriend before this.'"

Mariana shared a segment from the interview on her Instagram with the caption:

"Had so much fun talking to @theshop about how awesome @kikehndez is. Okkkk I’m somewhat obsessed with you even though you didn’t care about our friendship that much. Thank you for having me be a part of it @cashapp !"

Kike Hernandez waited for Mariana to break up with her former partner

Carrying the conversation forward, Kike Hernandez revealed that he waited patiently and kept hinting at his feelings for Mariana indirectly. Eventually, it reached a point where Hernandez allowed her to realize his feelings on her own.

"We stuck with the friendship, and I was like, 'All right, I’m gonna keep trying.' Eventually, she broke up with her boyfriend, and I kept trying, but nothing happened. So, when I was done with her, I told her, 'What the heck are you doing? Open your eyes,' and I left her with that," Hernandez added.

Hernandez then went on a road trip, hoping for more than just friendship with Mariana. Eventually, Mariana took the initiative and asked Hernandez out.

"Then she asked me out," Hernandez said. "We went out, and she became obsessed with me. Fast forward nine years later, and here we are, sitting down and doing this."

In Dec. 2018, the couple got married in a ceremony held in Puerto Rico. They later became parents to daughter, Penelope Isabel, who was born on Jan. 15, 2021.