We met through a mutual friend on a choir college tour trip during our sophomore year of high school. At the time, Zoe had just gone through a falling out with a previous fling and Cole decided he wasn't going to date in high school anymore. This trip completely changed the trajectory of Cole's decision. Zoe made a lot of the first moves (awkwardly, of course), but Cole had been interested all along. Needless to say, they hit it off and started dating February 13th, 2017.

At the start of their relationship, Zoe did not identify as a Christian. Throughout the first year and a half of their relationship, Cole challenged Zoe with many hard and disrupting questions about her faith and relationship with Jesus, or the lack there of. After a long and difficult journey, Zoe took the leap and fell into the hands of Jesus and asked him into her life through prayer with Cole. This event was a complete turning point in their relationship and has made them so much stronger as a couple and as friends.

We drove up to Atlanta, GA to visit with some family friends over Valentine's day. Before going out to breakfast at The Chastain, Lisa (Cole's mom) and Judy (family friend) said that they needed to stop at the Ignatius House, a Catholic retreat center, to meet a friend really quick. We got out of the car and headed inside when Judy suggested that Cole and I walk around the grounds. We walked down a small path towards an overlook of the Chattahoochee River. Cole performed a magic trick, of course, but it did not go as planned because I don't know how to use a small lighter. Moments later, Cole was down on one knee and said, "I would like to start a new chapter with you, not with a coin, but with a ring," and asked me to marry him. It was the easiest yes I've ever said.