The last thing that anyone wants in an apartment with paper-thin walls is a noisy upstairs neighbor, especially one that thinks midnight was an appropriate time to get into a yelling match with strangers online. It wasn't until after the second noise complaint did she get the opportunity to meet her mystery headache. It was a mutual friends' party in the same building that Alyvia and Michael truly met for the first time. Alyvia shared her frustrations with Michael over a cheap beer about the nuisance above, only for Michael to realize that he was the culprit. Thinking on his feet, Michael requested Alyvia's number to bypass future noise complaints in favor of a text message. It wouldn't be much time before Alyvia herself would join the noise above, getting to know the occupants of unit 308 and her future husband.

The beginning of the end of college came in the form of the fall engineering career fair. Michael waited patiently in the cafeteria below as Alyvia met with various companies and contractors, hoping to break into the promising world of mechanical engineering. Hours later she emerged, clutching a software job offer in hand. The rest of the year passed fast with the excitement of a new job opportunity and Alyvia found herself moving to Colorado Springs to begin her professional life, leaving poor Michael behind to fend for his 5th year of school. As she learned the ropes of her newfound career, Michael completed his degrees and began the search for his own purpose amongst the job boards. In February of 2022, he had successfully chased his girl to the Springs (albeit by squatting in a rather plain studio apartment). The two enjoyed learning the city together, making new friends and developing new hobbies. Alyvia pursued her dream of home ownership and made the big purchase in September 2022, giving Michael an excellent excuse to break his lease and move in. The countdown to the proposal began that day.

Michael always knew that he wanted to surprise Alyvia with the proposal, but she was sharp and quick to pick up on things (and he wasn't a planner by nature). It was going to take an Ocean's Eleven approach to pull it off. The first recruits, naturally, were the parents. With their brainstorm assistance, the date was set for mid-December; the perfect time to hide a celebration in plain sight. Next, friends were recruited into the spy network. Fake tidbits of proposal plans were fed to Alyvia all the while coordination and logistic plans took place. After all, sneaking some forty people into the Hildebrand basement would take a great effort. With the roster set and the plan in motion, the sun dawned on December 17th, 2022. Alyvia prepared for a dinner party with the parents, while Michael battled his nerves and fought to keep his composure. Through the collective efforts of everyone involved, her suspicion was never raised. As the final seconds passed, she lined up for a family picture. Everyone present waited in place, watching her stand in the spotlight. Confused, she turned around only to find Michael on one knee as her close friends and family poured upstairs through the basement door. With one word, she began the rest of their lives.