My cousin Coleman introduced us in March of 2019, knowing we both needed a date for our proms. From the very first night we met, we instantly connected and talked like we had known each other forever. What started as a prom date quickly turned into something so much more. Since then, we’ve grown up side by side, walking through so many of life’s biggest milestones together—graduating high school, landing our first big jobs, finishing college, buying our first home, and adopting our sweet girl, Meesh. Clayton proposed on July 7, 2025 in one of our favorites places, the Outer Banks. After dinner, we went to the beach to look for shells. He was a few steps behind me and said, “What do you think of this one?” When I turned around, he was down on one knee. For a few perfect moments, it felt like we were the only two people in the world—soaking in the joy before sharing the news with everyone else.