Lidiane: We had both been attending Trinity Church for a few years, likely passing each other many times without much more than a casual "good morning." Every Sunday after church, there’s coffee hour in the fellowship hall—except during the summer, when the hospitality team takes a break. During those months, the church hosts a "picnic in the park," and different small groups volunteer to run it. And that’s where our story begins. On July 23rd, Chris’s small group signed up to host the picnic. Their special touch? Ice cream from Ashley’s. Earlier that year, I had gone with my small group to Ashley’s and discovered their coffee Oreo ice cream. I was instantly hooked. So when I heard that there’d be Ashley’s ice cream at the picnic, I was all in. That afternoon, I grabbed a coffee Oreo cone and met Chris. Chris: I had noticed Lidiane in the months ahead of the Ice Cream Social. I’d seen her worshiping on the music team a few Sundays and chasing kids in the fellowship hall—no doubt her niece and nephew. I thought, "Who is that cute girl chasing kids?" I figured she was taken. Fast-forward to Picnic in the Park. I was handing out ice cream when I saw Lidiane. I was pretty excited to see her. Until then, I’d been making small talk with people as I scooped, but nothing more than casual conversations. Then I saw her, and here was my chance! I mustered up the courage to introduce myself to her. "Hi, I'm Chris." She told me her name, and I thought, "Dear God, help me remember that." She spent the rest of her time at the event chatting with a mutual friend, ice cream cone in hand. Then, before I knew it, she left. I watched her walk away, thinking, "I should talk to her," but I figured, "She's probably seeing someone." Fall came around, and my neighbor Tess wanted to set me up with her friend. I'd been set up for years and suspected this would turn out no different; I put it off and chalked it up to being busy with work and dog-sitting for friends. I'd stalled long enough, and Tess texted me a gentle nudge: "Dates > dogs." That little push was all I needed. I texted Lidiane and replied to Tess, "You motivated me. I asked a girl from church out, and she said yes. She's been on my mind for a bit." Lidiane: Now, here’s the thing—I had no idea who Chris was. I had no memory of meeting him two months earlier. So, I did what any girl would do: I called my sister. She and my brother-in-law took to Facebook, found a picture of Chris, and sent it to me. "Oh, he's handsome," I thought. I figured there would be no harm in meeting him after church for coffee in the fellowship hall. We sat down to chat once most of the regular coffee hour attendees had left. Chris came annoyingly prepared, swooping me into his chat about his dog, soccer, and his job (which he’s still trying to explain to me). By the end of it, I agreed to go on a date... "It’s just one date," I thought. "I don’t have to marry him."

Looking into the future from the passenger seat (when Lidiane knew.) Toward the end of December of 2023, Chris and I went to Consiglio's for dinner before Christmas. It was our 5th date. I remember so much about the evening, where we sat at the bar, what drink I ordered while we waited for our table, learning about Chris's love of meatballs, and nearly every conversation we had that evening. We stayed late enough to see the wait staff folding napkins and rolling silverware in preparation for the following day. After dinner, we walked back to Chris's car and continued chatting. Sitting there, I looked at Chris and suddenly thought I was looking at my future husband. I brushed the feeling away; it was too soon, and I was too afraid of falling in love. After a speech about getting things for people without expecting anything in return, Chris casually gave me a Christmas gift in a white bag closed with a green silk ribbon. (I still have that ribbon.) In February, Chris and I went for a walk at Lighthouse Point Park. "We" were the topic of conversation. I remember just as much about that walk as I do from Consiglio's... I wonder why that is. Again, we found ourselves in Chris's car. I looked at him and got that same feeling I brushed away in December, "I'm looking at my future husband." And I was. A bunch of little moments (when Chris knew.) There was no one moment or event that made it click for me that Lidiane was the one. She and her family captivated me with a series of little gestures that gave me an insider's view of the kind of love in store. One such event was the evening of March 1st. We went to watch a high school musical, of all things. As we watched the show, Lidiane wrapped her arm around mine and rested her head on me. It was the first time she'd reached out to me like that, and that moment, that little display of her affection, stayed with me. Then, at the end of March, UCONN was set to play Illinois in the Elite 8 game in Boston. Lidiane and I went. UCONN dominated Illinois, and at the end of the game, I watched Lidiane console a couple of members of the losing fan base and then share the gospel with a lingering fan. That was another little moment because after she walked away from the man and took my hand, I told her I loved her for the first time. A few days later, I left for Cape Cod to spend three weeks with my dad. Lidiane told me three weeks was too long to go without seeing me and offered to visit me! And she did! I remember thinking, "This girl really likes me; she can't wait to see me." I hadn't had that before. Then, there was Lidiane's dad—the second time I'd ever seen him! So we're casually talking in the kitchen when he boldly asks, "What are your intentions with my daughter?" Lidiane attempted to hide inside the refrigerator. "Well," I started, "to continue to love your daughter." "You love my daughter?" "I do." Then he walked over to me, told me his family was the most important thing to him, shook my hand, hugged me, and gave me his blessing.

Lidiane: May 12th was Mother’s Day, and Chris and I went to my parent’s house after church to celebrate my mom. That afternoon, we sat outside on the patio furniture, and Chris and I had our first conversation about the trajectory of our relationship. Seven weeks later, his dad came to CT to spend the 4th of July with us. David (Chris’s dad) brought Nana’s necklace, which had a diamond pendant, with him. That weekend, Chris and I went to NYC and surrendered the necklace to Boris, who would take Nana’s diamond and set it on a ring. Chris: Lidiane and I had planned a trip to Florida and South Carolina so she could meet my mom and then my buddy Charlie. We planned to spend three nights at my mom’s and three at Charlie’s. Then I remembered my aunt and uncle in North Carolina and a beautiful spot in the Blue Ridge Mountains I’d visited three years prior. I adjusted our travel plans and told Lidiane we should see my aunt and uncle since we’d be nearby. Despite wanting more time together, Charlie understood when I cut our visit short by a day so I could take Lidiane to the mountains and propose. Our schedule gave me the option to propose Thursday or Friday—God chose Friday. Thursday’s lightning delayed our flight for three hours, and we didn’t arrive in North Carolina until 11 p.m. After quick hellos, Lidiane went to bed while I stayed up with my cousin Michael and Uncle Hal. I told them I planned to propose. Uncle Hal turned in, but Michael and I kept talking. Then Michael asked, “Who’s going to take pictures? Girls want that these days.” I panicked. Michael insisted I’d want photos and offered to help. The next day, my stomach was in knots! Lidiane, Hal, and I went for a boat ride, with Hal giving us the full realtor’s tour—explaining every house, fish, turtle, and lake depth. Normally, it would’ve been a lovely summer day on the water, but I was on a tight schedule. Lidiane had a work call that evening, and we needed to be in South Carolina, two hours away. I came up with the idea of going to lunch. The purpose was to get Lidiane in the car and to the mountain. Lunch was brutal. I did not want to eat. Lidiane likes to remind me that I ordered a salad, an unusual order for me. With time ticking away, we headed up the mountain. As we drove, I suggested to Lidiane that we leave for Charlie’s after her meeting so we didn’t feel rushed, and she agreed. As we cornered the first majestic view of the valley, my stomach turned, “we’re seconds away from the spot,” I thought. We drove another few seconds, and Hal pointed out a truck that looked like Michael’s. I hadn’t had time to clue him in on our plan, and I desperately attempted to make him drop the subject. At the top of the mountain, I made a last-minute decision to leave my phone in the car so that I could go back for it and ... the ring. We chatted about the view, and Hal took pictures of us. I was listening for Michael’s truck, and when I thought I’d heard it, I excused myself to get my phone. I waved down, who I figured was Michael, giving him the thumbs up. I returned to Lidiane, who became distracted along with Hal by Michael’s arrival; she took a small step away from me, and with heart pounding, I took a knee. “There’s a reason,” I explained about Michael’s arrival. Lidiane turned around. She covered her mouth in shock, then her face. She set down her sunglasses and inhaled a choked-up breath. She motioned to the view. “I know you’ve been asking for a couple of weeks. I went down to NYC last Friday. I went to your parent’s house right after. And I was probably not as choked up, but I asked for permission to marry you. So I would love to have your hand in marriage.” She nodded. As we hugged, she whispered to me, “Yes, by the way. I don’t think I said it before. Yes.”