Derek and Sophie’s paths first crossed in 2018- he was a senior and she was a sophomore. They shared mutual friends, and those connections brought them together more than once, yet they never batted an eye at each other. Then one day, Sophie heard that Derek was "known" for his good morning Snapchat streaks, and she wanted in on the fun. After a few good morning snaps, Derek and Sophie became more intentional about their time spent together. Even though they spent more time together than not, they were only going to stay friends as Derek was getting ready to move to college, and there was no way they were going to start a relationship, especially since Sophie was still in high school. Jokes on them, the snapchats became more frequent and the FaceTime calls started happening every night. On October 13th, Derek and Sophie were driving through town after dropping their friends off and Derek asked, "So where are we?" Sophie, naive to the fact that Derek was asking about their relationship, responds with, "By Music Station," as if Derek wouldn't know his location in the town he grew up in. They officially started dating ,and from then on, Derek and Sophie prioritized their relationship despite the distance between them. Sophie graduated high school and moved to Cedar Falls, Derek graduated college and stayed in the Iowa City area. Sophie then finished college and moved back to Independence. In August 2023 they welcomed their dog, Ruby, into the family. In October 2023 Derek bought a house in North Liberty. By August 2024, Sophie finally moved in with Derek in North Liberty. All of their goals were falling into place, and at this point, a proposal was only a matter of time. On April 20th, 2025 Sophie was in the bathroom at her brother's house, getting ready for Easter Sunday service. Derek came to the bathroom and said, "Let's get this over with." Once again, Sophie- naive to what Derek was talking about-turned to see Derek on one knee asking her to marry him. Sophie, knowing that Derek is very romantic and has such a way with words, it was the perfect proposal for the couple. Derek, Sophie, and Ruby are so excited to continue building their lives together.