We met in 2021, right after I had moved to Las Vegas for work. My friend Mozel was visiting from Washington and introduced me to Matt, someone she had gone to school with. He ended up being our unofficial tour guide for the weekend, showing us all the best spots around Vegas. Our first interaction was simple, just a “hi, nice to meet you.” We went to Area 15 and enjoyed one of their attractions as well as sat at the bar and enjoyed drinks together. The night was filled with fun and laughter. Matt definitely noticed me first. I didn’t think too much of it at the time. I just thought he was nice, funny, and fun to be around. Later, he told me he went home and told his friends about me, which was unusual for him because he had never really felt that way about someone before. We started spending more and more time together. Our first date was at a Korean BBQ spot where I tried octopus for the first time, and even though we missed our reservation, we ended up just wandering around nearby stores while waiting for a table and having fun anyway. Before long, we were seeing each other almost every day. He would bike to my apartment, I’d drive him to work, and somehow, he became part of my everyday life. Somewhere in that in-between stage, before we were officially boyfriend and girlfriend, we even got our bird, Prince. I had planned on getting a bird and I asked Matt to come over to put together the bird cage I got. When he arrived, I already had the bird cage put together with a bird in it HAHA. He was a little sad he didn't get to build the cage with me until he saw Prince then he was extremely surprised. We both fell in love with Prince and he is still a part of our little family 4 years later. At the time, I wasn’t looking for anything serious. So, when Matt asked me to be his girlfriend, I said no. It hurt him, but he stayed and continued to be there for me as a genuine friend, which was something I had never experienced before. That meant everything. Over time, I started to realize how much he truly meant to me, especially when he met my mom and stepdad and fit in so naturally with them. I saw how kind, steady, and real he was, and I knew I loved him. For my birthday, Matt planned a night out in Vegas, ending with a ride on the High Roller. What he didn’t know was that I had a plan too. When we reached the very top, I gave him a card asking him to be Prince and I's boyfriend :-). He was so nervous at first that he almost didn’t take my card, but once he read it, we were both crying—and of course, he said yes. After that, we continued the night doing what we always did best, having fun together. We walked through the Flamingo gardens, even crashed a wedding venue along the way. Later on, we got our first apartment together and spent weekends at a tiny bar called Porchlight, playing Keno. If we won anything, we’d celebrate with Chicago’s Pizza. Whether it was themed events, concerts, or just random nights out, we built a life full of fun, laughter, and memories. Looking back, it all started with a simple introduction, but somehow turned into everything.