Kayla and AJ's story began in September 2021 when they matched on a dating app. Kayla happened to swipe right while waiting at the airport, heading off to visit friends in Colorado. What started as casual texting quickly turned into daily conversations, as they connected over their shared love of sports. Once Kayla returned home, AJ asked her out for drinks and trivia night at Westport Ale House. The first date was a hit, and the very next evening they found themselves cheering on Iowa together during a football game. Just two weeks later, after spending nearly every day together, Kayla invited AJ to join her in Iowa for a top-five showdown between Iowa and Penn State at Kinnick Stadium. That night, Iowa pulled off a thrilling win, and so did they. From that weekend on, Kayla and AJ have been inseparable. (AJ insists I clarify that he’s still a Mizzou fan…)

AJ had been planning to propose to Kayla and was just waiting for the right moment. He had chosen the perfect day, June 7. Sadly, Kayla’s Grandma Nancy passed away on June 6. Wanting to be respectful of Kayla’s family, AJ considered postponing the proposal. He spoke with Kayla’s mom, her grandpa, and her uncles to ask if they thought he should still go through with it. They shared that a proposal is exactly what Grandma Nancy would have wanted and that a little joy during such a difficult time would mean a lot to everyone. When Susan (Kayla’s mom) was visiting her mom earlier that week, Nancy shared a special memory with her. In 1962, Kayla’s Grandpa Denny had proposed to her grandma in the car as Elvis Presley’s "Can't Help Falling in Love" played on the radio. Moved by the story, Kayla’s mom later came across a sign with those very lyrics and felt she had to get it. That sign became the backdrop for the proposal, tying everything together in the most meaningful way. The moment was a beautiful tribute to Kayla’s grandma, and now Kayla and AJ are so excited to begin the rest of their lives together. “Take my hand. Take my whole life, too. For I can’t help falling in love with you.”