When Kayla was a junior at the University of New Hampshire, she lived in a seven person suite in Mills Hall. Two roommates were leaving to travel abroad for the spring semester, and let's be real, who wants to get stuck with random roommates? Having been friends with The New Hampshire Gentlemen for three years at that point, Kayla knew one Gent who didn't necessarily love where he lived. She reached out to him to see if he'd be interested in moving in, and he essentially said, "Sure, I'll bring my friend Austin from home." Within a few short weeks, Kayla and Austin's five other roommates could sense that something was in the air. They were dating by March 14th, 2018 – Pi Day... "because math".

Kayla had an extremely busy season from March through May of 2023. Between a vacation, a business trip, two bachelorettes, and three weddings, it was occasionally hard to find quality time with Austin. It was Kayla's idea to have a Saturday "date day" to go on a walk or hike somewhere new or meaningful. On April 8th, 2023, Austin surprised Kayla by taking her to UNH to take a walk down memory lane. Walking past freshmen year dorms, through College Woods, and to T-Hall Lawn, they eventually landed at "their bench". Sitting there, they reminisced about the early years of their relationship, and their frequent visits to that spot, where they were able to find quality time to have meaningful conversations. After a few minutes, Austin said, "I just wish our friends were here." Ten of Kayla and Austin's closest friends peered out from around the corner of T-Hall, and as they approached, Austin began to stand up and reach into his pocket. He got down on one knee, popped the question, and in utter shock, Kayla said yes! Austin had bought the ring in December of 2022 from The Silver Unicorn in Yarmouth, MA – the same jewelry store that he worked at during their first summer together as a couple. He asked for Chip and Paula's blessing in March of 2023 while Kayla was on vacation. They asked Austin when he planned to pop the question, to which he responded, "As soon as possible."