We matched online on a day that probably should’ve been too chaotic for romance, the day Ryan was moving from Las Vegas to Tampa. We exchanged a few messages, he boarded his flight, and I assumed that was the end of it. In true modern dating fashion, I thought I’d been ghosted before we even met. But as soon as he landed, he messaged me back, and the conversation picked up right where it left off. Not long after, he asked if he could take me to dinner near where I lived. He was nervous, I was skeptical, and then we sat down… and everything just clicked. The conversation was easy, genuine, and surprisingly natural for two people who had only just met. For our second date, Ryan showed up with aquarium passes which, if you know me, is basically the key to my heart. We spent the day wandering through exhibits, laughing, and realizing that this might be something special. A few dates later, on June 12, 2023, we officially became a couple. And the rest of our story has been unfolding ever since.

From early on in our relationship, Ryan and I talked openly about our future. “Forever” wasn’t a scary word for us, it felt steady, natural, and something we were both excited to build together. By the time we were nearing two years, we had agreed that we wanted to be engaged before that milestone. Ryan even asked me what I envisioned for the moment, and the only real stipulation I gave him was about my parents: I wanted to be able to tell them in person. That one preference narrowed his options down to the few times we’d be with my parents in person, Thanksgiving or our early December trip to San Antonio for the NAAE Convention. What we didn’t know was just how many curveballs the universe had in store for us. The adventure began before we even left the airport heading to the NAAE convention. Baggage claim delays had us hustling through the terminal, and we made it onto the plane at the last possible moment. It was the perfect preview of a trip filled with unexpected twists. Once we arrived in Texas, we had one free day before the conference began. Ryan had planned the sweetest date for us, the interactive aquarium and the Japanese Tea Garden. But inclement weather rolled in, and between that and helping my parents coordinate their rental car pickup, our plans shifted again. The Tea Garden had to be skipped, so we headed straight to the aquarium.The aquarium ended up being incredible, we got to interact with lemurs, porcupines, stingrays, and even an octopus. It was magical, but not quite the right moment. (Meanwhile, the ring had been in Ryan’s pocket since the airport.) Once the conference started, our next real free time wasn’t until Thursday night, December 5th. That evening, we went to a big group dinner for someone else’s birthday. And of course, that was the night multiple people asked Ryan when he was finally going to propose… while the ring was literally in his pocket. He had to smile and play it cool. After dinner, we all walked along the River Walk and took a river boat ride through downtown. Ryan had planned to propose on the boat, until they announced that no one was allowed to stand up. Another plan foiled. But as we floated past a spot glowing with Christmas lights and flowers, I remember thinking, Wow… that would be such a beautiful place for a proposal. What I didn’t know was that Ryan was thinking the exact same thing, and quietly forming a new plan. After the ride, we slipped away for a walk, just the two of us. He led me back to that same twinkling spot we had both admired from the boat. Surrounded by lights, flowers, and the soft buzz of the River Walk, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. A stranger nearby offered to take a photo for us, the first picture of us as fiancés. I immediately FaceTimed my sister, and then we went to find my parents so we could tell them in person, just like I’d hoped. We took a few more photos back at the hotel and waited until we got home to share the news with everyone else. It wasn’t the original plan… or the second… or even the third. But on 12/5/24, under Christmas lights in San Antonio, it became the perfect moment for us.