Chloe and Layton’s story began long before either of them realized it. In May 2024, their paths quietly crossed in Chicago. He was there on a family vacation, she on a school trip. In a city full of millions, they found themselves at the very same place, at the very same moment. They didn’t speak, and they went their separate ways, unaware that this fleeting, almost invisible moment was the beginning of something meant to last.

When Chloe and Layton found themselves in the same group during orientation, their story truly began. What had once been a quiet, unnoticed crossing of paths turned into something real. They became fast friends, spending evenings playing Monopoly, sitting in Chloe’s car for hours just talking, and laughing at all the little things that made everything feel easy. At one point, Layton asked to follow Chloe on Instagram, only to realize he already was thanks to her connection to the Savannah Bananas. They laughed, brushed it off, and kept going. But looking back, it felt like just another small sign that their lives had been overlapping long before they ever realized it.

After Chloe returned from her mom’s company picnic, talking non-stop about the boy she met at school, he decided to take the chance and asked her out over Instagram DMs. It was a small, simple moment, but it became the start of something meaningful. Over the next nine months, they grew closer, discovering each other’s quirks, spending more and more time together, and gradually falling in love.

Chloe had already made it known to Layton that she wanted him to ask her family for permission if he ever planned to propose. Nine months into dating, and on a fishing trip she wasn’t especially excited about, she stayed on the riverbank watching the Dodgers playoffs while Layton fished with her mom. During that time, he asked for her mom’s blessing to marry her. It was a simple, genuine moment that carried a lot of meaning and made everything between them feel even more real.

The proposal happened in Layton’s parents’ living room, just before they were about to leave to surprise Chloe’s sister for her birthday. By that point, they had already talked about marriage, so Chloe wasn’t surprised by the idea, just the moment itself. She was wearing her promise ring, and Layton had planned a playful “stupid question,” inside joke. As they were getting ready to go, he said he had forgotten something and stepped into his room. Chloe already had a feeling what was coming, but assumed it would happen later that weekend. When he came back into the living room, he got down on one knee and asked, “Are you ready to tell your family you’re engaged?” Chloe laughed for a full five minutes, kept asking if he was serious, and eventually, through all the happiness and disbelief, said yes.