We met at Andy’s grandma’s house on the Fourth of July during a family gathering that also doubled as a small graduation celebration for one of Andy’s cousins. This cousin happened to be the brother of one of Alysia’s best friends, Emma. Emma had invited Alysia to come spend the day with her and her family as Alysia had become closer with Emma’s immediate family. What caught Andy’s eye and had sparked conversation between us was Alysia’s JRR Tolkien inspired tattoo on the back of her shoulder - “Circle” in someone’s take on his Elvish Scroll. We bonded over LOTR, tabletop games, video games, and bad puns, among other nerdy things. We hit it off immediately. At first, neither of us was looking for a relationship. However, the more we talked the more we realized there was something deeper growing between us.

On our 2 year anniversary, we returned to the park where we had our first date in July 2021. It was somewhat overcast, but Andy had already scoped out a few scenic areas beforehand and the wildflowers were vibrant from the previous day’s rain. Being a Monday, we mostly had the park to ourselves and could enjoy the sounds of birds nesting nearby and the creek slowly flowing through the woods. We walked around the park enjoying the sights we remembered from two years prior: the boardwalk above fields of wildflowers in bright yellows, reds, and violet; the overlook standing high above the creek the park was named for; the stilt platforms tucked in amongst the trees; and the massive sledding hill lending its silhouette to the local skyline. Unbeknownst to Alysia, Andy had recruited his brother to hide in the foliage nearby as a secret photographer for the occasion. He also had a ring hidden away in his pocket, custom made by a metalworker from the West Coast (and a backup made out of a polished hex nut in the right size, just in case). While the dirt paths had turned to mud overnight and made cleanly traversing down to the water impossible, the true spot lay at the opposite edge of the park. It was a small grassy stretch just off of the main walking path at the edge of a sea of wildflowers, all framed by the massive sledding hill out in the distance. We stopped and looked over the field of wildflowers, Alysia bending down to pick a small stem with several wildflowers blooming from it. After she had stood back up, Andy tucked the flowers behind Alysia’s ear, then knelt down to look at the flowers himself - or so Alysia thought. Andy noted that there appeared to be something shiny in the greenery. It was at this moment Andy turned to face Alysia, still kneeling. He had somewhat discreetly pulled a ring from his pocket, which he then held out to Alysia. “Will you marry me?” Obviously, Alysia said yes.