Though Zachary and I both attended LECOM School of Pharmacy in Bradenton and graduated just a year apart, our paths didn’t officially cross until fate stepped in. I was transferred to a new location in Venice where Zach was finishing up his pharmacist training and preparing to take his boards. After he became licensed, he moved to another store—but we kept in touch here and there. Fast forward to spring 2023: Zach got promoted to pharmacy manager and was relocated to the Publix right next to mine. One day, as I was heading out on a cruise, he called me about a work issue—and somehow, that quick call turned into a much longer conversation. After we hung up, my best friend Angela immediately asked, “Wait… who was that?” I laughed and told her all about the handsome pharmacy manager who had just moved up the street. We ended up texting through my entire cruise and made plans to meet up once I returned. Our first meetup was at a coffee shop, where he (adorably) copied my drink order and later admitted he was clueless about what to order at coffee shops. We sat outside in the blazing Florida July heat, talking for hours. A few weeks later, we had our first “official” date at Owen’s Fish Camp, where Zach managed to charm me into trying fish for the first time in years. (For the record, I’m still not a fish person—but he gets points for trying!) According to Zach, our “anniversary” is November 28, 2023—the day we spent together from morning to night, ending with a Christmas bar in Sarasota. He never officially asked me to be his girlfriend, but in his mind, it was settled from that moment on. December came with more surprises. Zach bought us tickets to Enchant, a Christmas light display in St. Petersburg, and asked me to spend Christmas Eve with his family. I remember teasing him, “So how exactly are you introducing me to your parents?” He just laughed and said, “As my girlfriend!” For Christmas, I thought I’d won the clever gift contest with an Ember mug—he was always complaining that his coffee got cold before he could finish it. But then I opened a little teal bag from Tiffany & Co. Inside was a Tiffany blue collar for my beloved cat, Sadie. It was thoughtful, sweet, and so personal. Anyone who knows me knows how much Sadie means to me—and since that day, I don’t think she’s taken the collar off. My dad even joked that she started acting like she was in a higher tax bracket! Over time, Zach has completely won over Sadie—she might actually love him more than she loves me. When he proposed, he had a ring box custom-made with her face on it. If that’s not a sign he’s “the one,” I truly don’t know what is. We have had so many adventures the past couple of years and I cannot wait to build our future together.