Picture it, Gainesville, FL, 2009. Yes, 11 years ago, but whose counting? It was game day and Sigma Alpha Epsilon was hosting Delta Gamma for UF vs. LSU. In the grand tradition of fraternity house game day parties, each room was set up with a different bar complete with a unique shot for entrants to sample. Christina and her friends were making their rounds when they walked into a room and saw Rob offering willing customers upside down margarita shots in a swivel office chair (also known as a haircut). Christina was instantly captivated by Rob's dashing smile and coiffed hair, and he by her sparkling brown eyes and custom orange and blue Jack Rogers sandals. Rob asked Christina if she would like a shot, Christina obliged and they ended up talking for over an hour. Needless to say, they both missed kickoff. The rest is history. Go Gators.

History will regard 2020 as the year of the wrench in the wheel and the ubiquitous and unpredictable curveball. But as is often true in life with the bad comes a lot of good, and for me 2020 brought a truly lifechanging moment on June 27th. One of the few silver linings of the Covid-19 pandemic is that it allowed us to work from home, providing the opportunity for Christina and I to decamp to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL for the summer to spend time with her family. While much of the Mid-Atlantic was under lockdown, Florida was not, which meant I was able to take Christina’s best friend Jessica Kelly to pick the ring. Her advice and counsel were essential. The next step was the engagement itself. Christina and I have spent many days in PV at the Plantation Beach Club. It’s the place we’d go when we first met and really fell in love, and so I knew it was where I wanted to propose. I planned to propose on a Saturday, two days before her birthday. Jessica and Christina's parents were in cahoots on the plan, waiting in the wings with champagne. As massive Florida thunderheads descended upon the area, the weather that day didn't look ideal for a beach proposal. However, after much nervous pacing the rain cleared out just before sunset and all systems were go. We went to the beach club and sat for dinner. I asked Christina if she wanted to go for a walk on the beach before we ordered and a lack of an objection from her parents sent up immediate red flags for Christina. If there is one certainty in life, it’s that the Brathunes like to eat on time. It was beautiful and serene evening on the beach. The storm had passed casting a magical light across the landscape. We walked down the beach as we had done so countless times before, only this time I nervously patted the ring loosely concealed in my pocket. I don’t remember what we were talking about, but I knew it was time. I stopped and dropped to my knee and asked her the question I so long planned to ask. She said yes.