In March of 2018, I was sitting alone at a birthday party at El Tejano in Los Angeles where I only knew the birthday girl, who was having a joint-birthday with Andrew's brother, Daniel. I almost did not go that night. I was drinking a beer, when out of no where, this very handsome guy approaches me and asks me, smiling, "What's your name?" I said, "Leah." He said, "Like Princess Leah?" "Yes," I replied. "Is that how you want to be treated?" "No, I want to be treated like a queen." "My name is Andrew." He asked if I wanted another drink, even though I had one. We talked the entire night, and Andrew basically told me that I was going to be his girlfriend. He maintained that sentiment even after I told him that I was probably moving to Santa Barbara to study at UC Santa Barbara. We continued to go on dates like sushi, the Renaissance fair, hikes at Tree People, and even a big road trip along the coast of California. When I went away for school in Santa Barbara, Andrew helped me move. He also took the train to visit me most weekends. We had so much fun exploring Santa Barbara, and we enjoyed the tranquility of the city in comparison to Los Angeles. We would hike to Inspiration Point and through Rattlesnake Canyon. It was beautiful, and we knew we wanted to be together in Santa Barbara. Andrew made the decision to pursue his passion for aviation as a career, and he found the perfect flight school that was 10 minutes away from where we live. We moved in together in 2020 about a month before the Covid-19 shutdown happened. We survived Covid, where we shared a lot of time together cooking delicious meals, walking by the beach, yoga classes, and baking bread. After Andrew changed careers, I decided to move into the healthcare profession. He has been a steadfast cheerleader in this decision, and his career change inspires me to pursue my dreams, too. After I got into nursing school, Andrew proposed (finally!) at a restaurant called the Lark in downtown Santa Barbara on a beautiful Friday night in May 2025. It was a spontaneous decision to get a table at the Lark, and Andrew sat next to me by a fire pit as we waited for a table. I looked at him in the eyes, and I told him "There's a fire in your eyes" because the fire was reflecting in his glasses. At that point he said, "I feel like this is the right moment to ask you. Will you marry me?" He pulled out the ring, and I was so surprised. Of course, I said, "Yes!" It was one of the best moments and meals of my life. After overcoming so many changes and building our relationship piece by piece, I am so excited to spend the rest of our lives together as a family.