Swipe, Swipe, Bumble, Match. “Hey Andrew! What’s your favorite race to run? And what are you in grad school for?”…followed by some daily messages and then straight silence from Natalie. A few days later, Andrew messages again: “Hey – I am getting back from my hometown next week, do you want to hang out - let me know!”. Natalie decided she would not ghost him or say she was busy with work but rather would plan to get together in 2 days – right before her night shift. They met at Ault park and walked around the trails talking about underrated Taylor Swift songs, family, and a multitude of common interests. BAM! - an instant connection. They run on the same trails, work in similar fields, and had only lived only 2.5 miles apart this entire time. Natalie was barely in the door before texting Andrew to see when he wanted to hang out again. Andrew laughed in retrospect "I didn't even have time to make it to the gym before you texted!" The second date was a rollercoaster of nerves and melted chocolate. It began with the seemingly simple plan of seeing Oppenheimer, but fate, in the form of Junior Mints, had other plans for Natalie. Right as Andrew dropped off Natalie and she left his favorite truck, the chocolate candies escaped their box, creating a sticky disaster all over Andrew’s pristine interior. It was a true test of his patience, but thankfully, his feelings for Natalie proved more powerful than his dislike for sticky upholstery. Somehow, they made it past the sticky mints to a third date. This time, they swapped the air-conditioned theater for the great outdoors—and the sweltering heat. The date became a self-imposed test of endurance, as both Natalie and Andrew, both too competitive for their own good, pushed themselves through a grueling 10-mile run while trying to talk and get to know each other. After miles of pavement and humidity, they were left not with the rush of victory, but with a shared sense of exhaustion and misery. After that experience, they saw each other every day. On August 28th 2023, Natalie came home to flowers in her door with a note that said "These last few weeks have been amazing - be my girlfriend? Please say yes!" After 2 months Natalie told Andrew she knew she would marry him, and Andrew said – “Natalie guess what?” – “What?” she says – to which he replied “I love you.” Fast forward two years later on August 7th, 2025. Natalie called Andrew on her run and stated: "Andrew, my parents are in town and this is a great time to ask them for my hand in marriage. Let's get engaged! I told my parents you might ask them this weekend." Little did she know he had already asked her parents a month ago! Everyone knew the surprise for that evening - except her. They had already planned a walk in Ault Park for their two year “first date anniversary” in a text message exchange earlier in the week – in fact it was Natalie’s suggestion. At least that is what Andrew wanted her to think. The walk started after a thunderstorm in the summer sunset - in the same outfits they wore on the first date. Natalie even spilled her water in Andrew's truck before leaving, just like she did with the Junior Mints. She did not expect anything that day – in fact she had already taken off her manicure for the week and requested off the last weekend in August in suspicion of a proposal. Something about the peaceful quiet made Natalie think “How about if today is the day? Nah –” after which she proceeded to almost faceplant on the muddy trail. They walked over a bridge on the creek and Natalie, who was bolting ahead, heard Andrew’s voice: “Natalie?” She turned around to find Andrew down on one knee and his sister, Emily, hiding in the trees and taking photos of the special moment. They could not think of a more perfect beginning to forever as they stood in Ault park that evening, not knowing a special bumble match would turn them into the Bryans.