To set the scene, it is August of 2020. On a whim, Emma decided to attend a housewarming party for some co-workers. Little did she know, another partygoer (thanks Kyle!!) would choose to bring their roommate along with them to the party. Seeing a smile that was impossible to forget, Emma took a chance and challenged Kyle and his cute roommate to a game of beer pong. After a few rounds, Emma accepted defeat and went to shake hands with her opponents. It was at this moment that she learned that the cute roommate was named Jonathan. Fast-forward two months, Emma and Jonathan reconnect and she invites him to join her roommates' Halloween "pumpkin carving" party. Long after the pumpkins were carved, they sat together and talked on the front porch until 3am. The more they learned about each other, the less time they wanted to spend apart. After quite a few dinners, movie nights, FaceTime dates, rounds of "up and down the river," and an unforgettable birthday trip to Lake Anna (where Jonathan was put to the real test of spending a whole weekend with Emma's friends), they at long last became "exclusive". A year passed, then two...then three. Over time, Emma and Jonathan developed a partnership that was real, comfortable, supportive, but also, wildly fun! They accept each other's flaws and are each other's biggest fans. They are two imperfect individuals who balance each other out and, together, have created a beautiful life. In other words, it was about damn time for a proposal!! Jonathan says: I couldn't tell you the exact moment I knew I was going to propose to Emma. It wasn't one big moment or one particular thing that convinced me. Instead, it was the little things, the never-ending thoughtful gestures, loving reminders, and caring acts that she showed me endlessly. Not to say there was a lack of loud, wonderful moments of highs, because there were countless of those in my life, but it was the quiet, constant stream of soft, selfless love over time that truly showed me just how deep and meaningful our connection truly was. I knew I was beyond lucky to have found such a gentle beauty who loves me for who I am, and so I went to work on a plan: a plan to both ask her to marry me and to surprise her with our closest loved ones to celebrate. I roped her parents into my idea, and with their help, we got a date set and a party laid out. So many of our family and friends secretly came into town a day before the day that I proposed, ready to celebrate. We spent our Saturday morning as we typically do, eating breakfast and then walking the dogs together. It was a quiet, casual morning, and even on the dog walk, I felt calm and didn’t raise any suspicion. Toward the end of the journey, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a new accessory for our Yorkie Bitsy, a tag I had bought from PetSmart the night prior that said “Will You Marry Me?” I tied it around our dog’s neck and told Emma, “I got Bitsy a new name tag, can you see it?” She leaned over to read it, and by the time she turned around, I was already waiting on one knee. Asking her to marry me was the easiest part of the day; it was convincing her not to immediately call all of her family and friends that was the hardest part. I knew if she called even one of them, the jig of the party would be up. I had laid out the ruse of "plans" with her the day prior, and she still believed we were going into DC to the Wharf for a lunch date, so I told her, “Let's not tell anyone until we tell your parents, and we can show them in person as we drop off the dogs on the way to DC.” Thankfully, she agreed, and from there it went off without a hitch. All the nerves, stress, and anxiety I had been feeling couldn't hold a candle to the happiness of watching that beautiful smile form on her lips as she opened the door and saw everyone who had gathered to congratulate us. It was that look on her face and her tears of joy that I will treasure for the rest of my life.