Tom's Version: We actually met at Frank and Marlee's on the first Bar Review of the year in the Fall of 2016, but apparently, I am the only one to remember that. The first time we really met was at our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party to celebrate the end of our Fall 2016 Law School semester. Caroline, knowing we were both Florida State alums, struck up a conversation about all things FSU while I was busy drinking "Cajun Eggnogs" at Funky's. We spent the rest of the night hopping from spot to spot on the Square in Oxford, MS, where we sat and talked for the rest of the night. The bar was crowded but it felt like we were the only people there. The night ended and the next day we both headed back to Florida to celebrate Christmas with our families. Caroline contends that I proceeded to ignore her for the next 10 months, but that is not how I or our cellphone records remember it. Caroline's Version: I don't remember meeting Tom until December 2016 at a tacky Christmas sweater party (shout-out to Funky's). A mutual friend mentioned there was another FSU alum at Ole Miss Law and pointed towards Tom. I immediately thought - tall, handsome, AND a Seminole?! I need to meet this guy! We spent the rest of the night talking and even exchanged numbers! But Tom was a little slow to make a move...

Tom's Version: Our first official date was on September 15, 2017. I asked Caroline if she would like to come along to Memphis and then the Chris Stapleton concert in Southaven, MS that evening. I showed up at Caroline's house to pick her up, walked her to my truck, and opened the door so she could climb inside. She sat down in the front seat ready for our ambiguously defined "date", before realizing that two of my law school buddies (shoutout Clinton and Ryan) were joining us in the backseat. We had a great time, and I didn't find out until months later that Caroline didn't actually like Chris Stapleton's music. As our relationship has progressed her opinions on his music have changed. Caroline's Version: Tom and I had hung out in groups several times at the start of my 2L/his 3L year, but one day Tom texts me "hey, a group of us are going to Chris Stapleton. You should come, it should be fun." Even though I didn't like Chris Stapleton, I immediately bought tickets for the concert. To my surprise, we were riding to the concert with Clinton and Ryan and I was entirely confused as to whether it was a date or I was being invited as a friend.... the night ended with us holding hands (finally, Tom made a move!!) and me falling asleep in the car on the ride home (classic grandma Carol move).

Tom's Version: Caroline had made it very clear how ready she was to get engaged and take our relationship to the next level. If you know Caroline, you know that she knows what she wants and will make it known (unless she is trying to decide what to order off a menu). I had made plans to propose to Caroline in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL as we spent the Christmas holidays with her whole family. My plan was to wrap the ring up and give her the "Christmas present" in the company of her family, so that they could share the moment. Days before the Christmas holiday, Caroline discussed with her Mom and Aunt Penny how her ideal proposal would be private and more intimate. Basically the opposite of what I had planned. I had to make a quick pivot, and decided to hire a photographer for a photo session on the beach. This gift was somewhat plausible, framed as a once-a-year sacrifice where I would agree to numerous photos without complaint (getting me to agree to take a photo is not the easiest task). We met with the photographer, walked out to the beach, and without any delay the photographer gave me the signal that now was the time. I was calm and collected prior to the moment, but as it was happening it was hard to get the words out. Luckily we both know how we feel about each other and the moment spoke for itself. We spent the next hour on the beach before meeting up with family to celebrate the occasion before the next day's Christmas festivities. Caroline's Version: Tom and I had agreed we weren't exchanging Christmas presents, so I was very surprised on December 24th when he told me he got us a photo session on the beach as a present. I was immediately nervous and was wondering if this was the moment I had been hoping for! I then realized I had nothing to wear and immediately ran up to the local shopping center. As I was shopping for a dress (with Tom), I got started talking with a lady in the Lemon Twist, a local boutique. She ended up telling me about how she knew my grandmother, Mimi, and what an amazing person she was. In hindsight, this felt like such a special moment knowing Mimi was with us on this very special day. On the way out the door for our photos, my mom said "if you guys get back early, could you tidy up the house?". That single comment made me think nothing special was about to happen. On top of that, as we got out of the car to meet the photographer, I did an intense up-down look of Tom and saw no ring box so again, I thought we couldn't get engaged without a ring! (Spoiler: he bought an ultra thin ring box for this exact reason!) As we started posing on the beach, I entirely forgot that I was hoping for Tom to propose. The photographer took a solo shot of me and then it was Tom's turn for a solo shot. As I turned around, Tom was on one knee. His hands were shaking so much I had no idea what the ring even looked like and I truly didn't care. I was crying and Tom was crying. It was the moment I had always dreamed of with the love of my life. It was perfect! We then got to celebrate our engagement over the next few days with our families, exactly how I had always wanted!