Our story began at Western Michigan University in the Fall of 2019. Our lives were connected in many ways before we started dating. I saw Chris' articles in the university newspaper. I smelled Chris' burnt popcorn in my dorm hallway. I heard many stories about Chris' antics from my friends (many of our friends were friends with each other). I would even occasionally run into Chris after returning from meals. Chris and I were always aware of each other, curious of the other person we had heard some much about. We were always in each others orbits, but never quite having a chance to truly connect. But our chance to connect finally came in an unlikely way. I volunteered for a fundraising event on campus called the Turkey Trot. Chris, being a reporter for the WMU newspaper, took the opportunity to interview me (I later found out that this was actually just an excuse to get to talk to me). Although there were... ulterior motives... Chris wrote an article featuring our interview which we've kept over the years (check it out online here: https://www.westernherald.com/community_culture/article_626122ba-0ff5-11ea-8a29-db41d8ce3f8a.html). After that, we began messaging each other in the late hours, finding excuses to spend time with each other, began walking together between classes, and meeting up for meals. During holiday break, Chris invited me and a couple of my friends to visit Traverse City for the city's annual New Year's Eve Cherry Drop (the city's own version of a ball drop). Of course, I dragged my friends two and a half hours North of where we all lived just to see this person who I had grown to like quite a lot. And when the cherry dropped on New Year's Eve to mark a new year, Chris and I made it official with a kiss at midnight.

After making it through a pandemic together and taking on everything life tossed our way, we decided we were ready for the next big thing. On the morning of October 28, 2023 I told Bella to get dressed fancy because we were going to see a movie (real subtle). Despite her apprehension about getting dressed up to go to a movie theater, she was more than into seeing a movie. She suggested the movie, "Five Nights at Freddy's." Wouldn't have been my first choice for a day such as this, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. Rolling out of the theater, our stomachs filled with soda and popcorn and our heads filled with visions of murderous animatronics, we headed for hot chocolate. With chocolate in hand we explored some shops and had a nice time in downtown Grand Rapids, just the two of us. As it's time for us to leave (or so she thought), we hopped in the car and drove in the direction of home. At the last second, I turn the car into a park by the Grand River. It's a beautiful, slightly chilly and gray skied late fall day. We walked for a while along the river, talking. As we reached a lone bench under a street lamp with the only other people around being the fishermen way out on the river, I dropped to one knee and asked her the big question while holding her grandmother's wedding ring. She said yes. Thank goodness.