Alana and Stephen met under the most unlikely of circumstances. After being hired by the U.S. Navy's military sealift command, Stephen was sent to train in San Diego during fall of 2019. His trip to San Diego occurred by accident as a result of the Navy not having space left at their east coast training facility. What was supposed to be a few weeks of training kept growing from weeks to months and eventually a full year courtesy of the Covid-19 pandemic. Luckily, there happened to be a wonderful girl living in Southern California that Stephen met and started dating just before the pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt. That wonderful lady is none other than Alana Reyes. What was a trying time for so many people was a blessing for the newly blossoming couple. Stephen and Alana were able to spend a years worth of time with each other, growing closer, and falling more deeply in love each and every day. Stephen got to know and love Alana's family and spent nearly every weekend with them for nearly an entire year. The situation was almost perfect, except for that Alana never met Stephen's family. In fact it took an entire year and a full tour at sea before Alana was introduced in person to any of Stephen's family and friends. However, when they finally met Alana it was as if they'd known her all along. That was the point when Stephen knew without a doubt that he would ask for her hand. Months later in December of 2021 in Tahoe, Stephen got down on one knee and asked Alana to marry him. And, against all the unlikelihood's of having grown up on opposite sides of the country, that is how fate (and a dating app) brought Stephen and Alana together.