Our story begins on the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic. I (Jackson) needed a job, and not many places were hiring. I applied for Marshalls, but got hired at Homegoods instead. I (Adriana) had applied to TJ Maxx two months earlier because my friend already worked there, but got hired at Homegoods instead of my first choice. Shortly after starting, I saw a beautiful girl folding towels in a red apron, and I had to say hello. During his first week, Jackson just stared at me; it took him a while to actually come and say hi. We became fast friends along with a few other coworkers and continued talking after I left Homegoods a few months later. I found out she was going to California Lutheran University. Even though she had completed her first year, she told me she had never been on campus (she was lying, her sister went there, and she lived 4 minutes from campus). I told him I was going to CLU and that I was really nervous to go and wanted a tour of the campus. Not just because I thought he was cute, but because I wanted a friend to talk to when I got there. I offered to give her a tour, which she accepted, and after two rainchecks, I finally got the chance to show her around. I didn’t mean to cancel on him twice; life happens, you know? I must have done an ok job because we started seeing each other on campus most days, although I did say one of her classes was in the wrong building, which she pointed out to me after her first day. I was really mad, but I excused it because he was really sweet. A couple of months later, on December 1, 2021, I officially asked her out with flowers, candles, and my signature crème brûlée. I said yes, mostly because of the crème brûlée. Two years later, we decided to plan a trip to Europe—Iceland for a few days, and then London for our anniversary. I planned out the Iceland portion, picking activities and restaurants for us to visit. I even found and booked the hotel for us. While she did that I had another activity in mind that involved getting a ring and picking a place to propose on our three year anniversary. I was so clueless, and for someone who investigates everything that’s hard to accomplish. I had no idea he had even asked my parents yet, but he had a whole ring in his luggage, and I didn’t know. I picked a spot on the coast, away from the city lights, so that we could be alone under the stars. The spot had a view of the city, the ocean, and an erupting volcano in the distance. Funny enough, I was so tired that night, I didn’t want to go. He had to bribe me with dinner just to get me in the car, but it was all worth it. That night is one that I will never forget. While she was taking pictures of the lighthouse, I was trying to set up my phone on some rocks and ice to record the big moment. He was playing with sticks. Maybe. After I figured it out, I went and gave her a big hug as a random guy walked right behind us. I was ready to leave cause that guy creeped me out. When he got far enough away, I told her how much I loved her and that I never wanted to stop adventuring with her. He was acting really weird. I finally couldn’t keep it in any longer, so I knelt down, pulled out the ring box, and asked her to marry me. Her response was… interesting. It’s not my fault. I was really hungry and took a moment to process what was happening. Eventually, I said yes while jumping up and down. We memorialized the moment with a crisp high five. She said, “You’re lying,” about 15 times before she said yes. I kept saying, “No, really,” but I don’t think she understood me. A few tears later, and I actually put on the ring; it was gorgeous. But I was still hungry, so we went right to our anniversary dinner. Which I reserved as our engagement dinner, complete with crème brûlée.