It's only fitting that Jake and I would meet around the Dungeons and Dragons table, 18 years ago. My dad used to host game nights at our apartment on weekends, and Jake would come over with a bunch of our mutual friends. For a very long time that's all we were - gamer friends. I moved away to Florida for a time, and when I came back, I found that Jake had moved in with my dad while I was away. It was only supposed to be a temporary situation while Jake looked for a new apartment, but he ended up saying with us long-term. I'm thankful for it, because it gave us the chance to get to know each other more personally!

I'm normally the type to want to try new places, especially on Valentine's Day. This last year though, I'd gotten us a dinner reservation at the same restaurant where our very first date had been. It felt meaningful, and I made sure our table was private. Jake apparently thought I might have planned to bring up the subject of marriage, so he waited for me to mention it. What he hadn't anticipated was that I'd already bought two promise rings, and I popped the question myself! I'll never forget how happy he looked in that moment.