We met on Bumble in December 2021. One random Sunday, I asked if she wanted to come out to Luna Restaurant for my friend’s birthday I didn’t really expect her to say yes, and I definitely didn’t think she’d actually show up. But she did. From the start, there was something different about her. She carried herself with confidence, and there was just this ease in how we connected. We danced, talked, laughed, and I introduced her to a few of my friends. When the party ended, I didn’t want the night to be over, so I asked if she wanted to grab dinner. She said yes. That’s when I realized how real the connection was. The conversation didn’t feel forced. She made space for me to talk, more than I expected to. It was one of the most genuine dates I’d ever had. We ended the night singing karaoke at a jazz lounge, still laughing. As we walked back to her car, she had to remind me to ask for her number. I got it and we've been locked in ever since.

In June 2024, we traveled to Spain with a close friend who would later become Chris’s best man. The trip was amazing. We explored Madrid, spent time in Barcelona, and ended back in Madrid for a friend’s wedding. Somewhere in between, I broke one, maybe two nails. I didn’t think much of it, but Chris made it feel like an emergency. He made it his mission to get them fixed once we returned to Madrid. That night, Chris vaguely mentioned we needed to leave by 8:30 a.m. the next day for our next outing. Of course, we overslept. Chris jumped out of bed in a frenzy and started rushing us out the door like we were late for a flight. I was half asleep and full of questions like, “Who is he texting?”… “Why is he wearing a suit at 9 a.m.?”… and “Why are we leaving Wallace!?” On our ride to Parque del Retiro, Chris was quiet and clearly nervous. While I was busy taking in the beautiful park scenery, he began leading me off path. He started speaking, but I couldn’t process a single word. Before I knew it, he smiled, pulled out a ring, and popped the big question. A photographer came out of nowhere to capture the moment. The photo will show that I was clearly overwhelmed with joy. I said yes to my best friend, and everything else faded.