Like all great modern love stories, ours started online — courtesy of a dating app. As an ER nurse, I was a little hesitant when I saw he was a paramedic (we’ve all been there)... but then I noticed he was 6’5” and thought, click — add to online shopping cart. A few months into dating, I joked that it would’ve been nice if we had met the “old-fashioned” way. That’s when Adam said, “Honey, we did. I brought you at least three patients in the ER.” Oops. Guess fate had us covered either way.

We met in the fall — aka peak Halloween season — and quickly bonded over our mutual love for all things spooky. I warned Adam upfront: “Just so you know, I scream and holler when I get scared. Let’s go to a haunted house so you can get the full experience right away. We’re in our 30s… no time to waste.” So we did. I screamed, he laughed, and we’ve been having a blast (and scaring the crap out of each other) ever since.

As a homebody who treats our dogs like children, Adam knew exactly how to pull off the perfect proposal. One morning, I woke up on the couch (accidental nap, of course) to him saying, “Come upstairs — the dogs are doing something really cute.” I walked into our bedroom to find rose petals on the bed, a “Marry Me” sign, and our pups proudly wearing bandanas that said “Will you marry Dad?” It was sweet, simple, and so perfectly us. Later, Adam told me we’d be celebrating at our favorite restaurant, Texas de Brazil, with a few close friends. I spent all day getting ready and didn’t eat a thing in anticipation. But when we stopped by a friend’s house to “pick them up,” I walked in to a huge surprise — an engagement party with all of our closest friends and family. It was absolutely wonderful, and somehow… I still didn’t get my steak.