At the College of Wooster, there is a greasy-spoon diner called Mom's Truck Stop, which is open until 3am, that students frequent to cap off a night of youthful exuberance. After eating her loaded fries and pizza, Ellie was anxious to continue the party, but a mutual friend insisted she meet a "Matt Smith." After exchanging pleasantries, they headed on their separate ways, but in an epiphany of clarity, Ellie seized the moment and turned to catch him. She tapped his shoulder and whispered, "I've never done this before, but you're really cute." Immediately embarrassed, she turned to retreat, but Matthew grabbed her arm, got in front of her, and said "You can't just say that and try to walk away." They spent the rest of Matthew's senior year together, and decided they wanted to give it a go long-term. The rest is history.
After Christmas, Matthew went out to Chicago to visit Ellie and her family. On the first night of his stay, Ellie's family had their annual "Fake New Years" party - a tradition that started when the Kleber kids got old enough to have their own plans on the actual holiday. Each year, they make sealed predictions for the upcoming year in various categories. Ellie's dad opened the envelope and began reading Ellie's cousin's prediction - who predicted that the two would become engaged by the New Year. Then, he read Matthew's predictions; in the "family" category, Matthew guessed that this cousin's prediction would come true. All eyes went to him as he reached into his pocket and ... the ring snagged on the fabric and Matthew dropped it. After crawling under the table to retrieve the ring before the dog got to it, Matthew knelt beside Ellie, told her he loved her to pieces, and asked her to marry him. She said yes!! Champagne to celebrate the New Year was topped with champagne to celebrate the engagement into the early hours of the morning.