Brian had graduated from UNT but had left behind a D&D club that he started with some friends. His friend, Abby, brought me on to one of her games as a player and we established a loose friend group that played games online together. One of the games was where I met Brian, whom I had heard of but never really got to talk to. We played together, going on seafaring adventures every Tuesday for a year, until one day Abby suggested we all meet up in person for an escape room. Miraculously, we managed to get everyone together, and that was where I met Brian for the first time. We (mostly Brian and a couple of others) solved the puzzle and we all grabbed dinner, where we spent more time getting to know each other and reminiscing on old adventures. When I found out Brian was living in Plano, we resolved to hang out sometime. After a clumsy hangout, we found we were looking for a lot of the same things in a relationship and really understood how to talk to each other. After that night, Brian took the initiative and told me how he felt, and we decided to try things out. Cut to 2-3 years later, we’re happy to say that things worked out in the best possible way :)

A year into our journey together, I felt a deep certainty that Brian was the man I wanted to spend my life with. Bringing him to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, a place filled with memories from my childhood, became a poignant moment of connection. Witnessing his appreciation for the beauty around us, I knew this was where I wanted to propose. Holding onto the idea for a year, I stumbled upon an online ad for an orchid exhibit at the conservatory—knowing Brian's love for orchids, I saw it as a sign. With the help of my friends, I meticulously planned a day filled with activities, concluding with a romantic dinner at the enchanting "Jardin" restaurant within the gardens. Reservations, tickets, and decor were all arranged with care. Our day unfolded with moments of joy and shared laughter. Navigating discreetly to ensure Brian remained oblivious to the engagement ring hidden in my possession, I couldn't shake the excitement building within me. As we approached the decorated scene in the gardens, my heart pounded with anticipation. Recording the proposal, my friends encountered a minor glitch, drawing Brian's attention. Mistaking Nicky for a wedding photographer, Brian expressed a longing for a proposal in that picturesque setting. Seizing the moment, I presented the wooden box, unveiling the intricately designed silver and gold ring with the touching inscription, "light of my life." Overwhelmed with emotion, words escaped me momentarily, "I love you, silly!". But as our laughter turned to tears of joy, I finally found my voice, expressing my love and asking Brian to be my forever. With a heartfelt "yes," our embrace sealed the beginning of a new chapter. Dinner at "Jardin" followed, with Ava and Nicky joining us, creating an intimate circle of friends celebrating our love. As the night unfolded, I shared the story of our extraordinary day with Brian, grateful for the love that had brought us to this beautiful moment.

After such a wonderful proposal (and one I hadn't expected to happen yet) I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted to do mine. I had nebulous plans to do it in San Antonio as well, but at the waterfalls beneath the Tower of Americas. I had the trip planned, a reservation set up at the nearby fancy Battalion restaurant, and the Ring had arrived plenty early. I was struggling to put to words what I felt would sum up my love for Mori, and my anxiety was slowly building. Turns out it didn't matter. One weekend, Mori had seen that a nearby Tulip farm had opened its doors and we decided to head there to pick some flowers together and take them home. I envisioned a lovely garden in my head and while they were doing makeup it hit me. Today, I want to propose. I couldn't deny it, I knew it had to happen now. So I hastily threw together a picnic, snuck away while Mori was reading at our favorite book store to buy some Prophecy Wine to stash in it, and tried to think of what I wanted to say. It was still hard to put to words, but I knew the feeling and trusted myself to figure it out in the moment. We spent a lovely morning at our favorite book store, and then headed out into the countryside to the Tulip farm. When we got there..... it wasn't *exactly* what I had envisioned. Utilitarian rows of tulips, partially picked cleaned and absolutely crowded with young families, I panicked. How on earth was I supposed to find a place to have a picnic and propose in this mess? We spent some time picking out some lovely tulips, finding a good bunch among the empty stems. As Mori got in line to wrap our tulips I found a small spot in the far corner against an empty booth and set up the blanket and basket. I got set up and my heart was racing as I waited for them to return. Their proposal had been so fairytale-like and perfect, and here I was, proposing in the corner of a crowded tulip farm. It struck me as poignant. And I told them as such as I proposed. Our love is exciting, wonderful, beautiful, and we adventure through life together. But our love is also quiet, and comfortable. It endures the unexpected, the chaos of life. And in those two sides, we find unity. We sat and had our simple ham and cheese sandwiches, ate Goldfish crackers and pretzels while the old time love songs that I had intended to be playing during my proposal made their belated debut(whoops!). It was quiet, and Mori giggled and asked me if I'd chosen this place with the diaper in mind. To my horror, nearby, partially hidden by a platform was a dirty diaper someone had just dumped on the ground! As if on cue, wasps began to reclaim our picnic area and we had to quickly pack up and flee! I was just happy they had given us the few minutes of picnic we were able to enjoy. We drank wine furtively in the parking lot (they didn't allow alcohol), in the safety and comfort of the air-conditioned car. It wasn't the proposal I had exactly hoped for, but I was happy.