After a month and half long stretch of texting and attempting to set up a date, Carlos gave it one last shot. Lucky for him, that was the one opportunity that Brooke had available. They met for some appetizers and a brew at one of Brooke's favorite spots The Lost Dutchman, and spent several hours sharing stories. That weekend the Oroville Damn Crisis occurred. Brooke went out to volunteer at the fair grounds to set up the evacuations sites. Carlos was inspired to join. They spent the next week working many hours along side each other, learning more than just the stories told, but about who they were and how they cared for their community. Carlos was enamored with Brooke's shear positivity and radiant smile, while Brooke was charmed by Carlos's ability to make everyone laugh and smile through a difficult time. They continued to bond over their love of the outdoors and zest for live music, while dancing many nights away!

From Carlos' perspective: I really didn't know how to begin the process of asking Brooke until one day, Brooke's dad, Gene, stopped by for a visit. It was just the two of us there killing time before his next notary, when he asked something along the lines of "Do you have intentions of marrying Brooke?". I laughed and explained my concerns of not knowing where to start. Gene said, "Well, you start with a ring." With that information, I still needed more guidance. I tried to set up a time with Karen, but with her busy schedule, it was impossible to coordinate a time, so I just drove over to her house when I knew she was home to have "The conversation." I'm not the greatest with small talk, so when she lets me in, I just say it, "I want to talk to you about marrying Brooke." I can't recall exactly what Karen said, but it was something like "Oh my gosh! I have a ring!" With a ring in hand, I plan the where and how. I told Brooke that I wanted to hike Feather Falls on our next available weekend. We reach the apex of our hike, but there are too many people at the overlook, so we hike around the back of the waterfall where it's just the two of us. As we overlook the beautiful sight, and I get down on one knee... Brooke's Perspective: I said "Yes!"