Mikayla and Bryan’s story began at their medical school’s welcome celebration for the incoming class. Among a crowd of new faces, a group had gathered to play drinking games with beer. Since Mikayla is gluten-free and couldn’t join in the usual way, she turned to the cutest boy nearby and asked if he’d be willing to drink her beer if she played. He agreed—an easy yes that would quietly mark the beginning of everything. For the rest of that first year, they remained just friends. But during COVID, as the world slowed down, their connection grew. What started as conversations and texts gradually turned into something more. After a long stretch of quarantining, Mikayla finally joined Bryan to celebrate his 23rd birthday at Lake Hopatcong—a place filled with meaningful memories from his childhood. From that moment on, they were inseparable. They quickly found joy in the everyday—driving around listening to their favorite pop-punk music, studying side by side, and cooking together. Mikayla introduced Bryan to one of his now-favorite bands, The Grateful Dead, and Bryan surprised her by cooking her dinner—something no one she had dated before had ever done. The pork chops were delicious. Life seemed to keep bringing them closer. By coincidence, they ended up living across the street from each other on the Upper East Side of Manhattan during their clinical rotations. Before long, circumstances (and a little bit of fate) led them to move in together, creating a home in their tiny apartment with their two cats—Gil and George. Through the challenges of medical school and residency, they stood by each other and grew stronger. They eventually moved to Brooklyn together and, as luck would have it, both matched into residency at the same hospital. While it may sound like something out of Grey's Anatomy, they promised to keep things professional. Over time, their relationship grew into something they both knew was forever. One day, the question came up casually: “Do you want to go ring shopping?” It felt less like a surprise and more like the natural next step in their story. But while their journey together was never unexpected, the proposal certainly was. After finishing a 24-hour shift, Bryan joined Mikayla on a trip to her hometown of Cazenovia, NY for her family’s long-awaited “Pond Party.” She was excited to introduce him to her extended family—but little did she know, he had something more planned. He took her to one of her favorite places in the world—"The Pond", where she spent her childhood playing in the water, riding ATVs through the woods, grilling, and gathering around bonfires. As they walked, Mikayla noticed a picnic basket placed on a small bench between two pots of yellow flowers. Before she could think much of it, Bryan gently guided her to stand beside him, looking out over the still, blue water. Then, in a moment she’ll never forget, he got down on one knee. Though they had chosen the ring together, Mikayla had no idea this was coming. Completely surprised, she said "YES!"—and just like that, the next chapter of their story began. And now, they can’t wait to celebrate with all of you. 💕