In Bailey’s mind, Steven was: “Just another awkward (but cute) guy from LeTourneau.” No big deal. She was in her single-queen era, living her life, and enjoying it. When they officially met through their close mutual friend, Sam, some of Steven’s first words to her were, “yeah… I know who you are.” Weird. Steven, on the other hand, fell fast. He was a Longview native, and he was not super well known on campus (just like he likes it), unlike Bailey, an outgoing personality who was happy to talk to anyone and everyone. Something about her drew him in immediately. In just a few weeks, he knew: he really liked her. Their first real moment was at the Shrance (the Shrek Dance). During Shut Up and Dance, he spun her, making his move in the most Steven way possible—bold and endearing, but with a tinge of plausible deniability. He did not even know how much Bailey loved to dance. After the dance he made a point to let her know that he would “probably see you in the library?” Well now she just had to make sure she was in the library… all the time. She went back to her room, giddy to share the tea with the girlies. By November, he finally got up the nerve and asked her out in the library, and Bailey, amused and intrigued, decided to go along for the ride. Her roomie/bestie, Maura, advised her that “free coffee is free coffee.” They went for a walk at the Mobberly trail and had a long talk about their families, their interests, and their relationships with God. Steven talked a lot about his family, but Bailey learned there were a lot of them to talk about. Bailey went back to Maura and in her most dramatic way, told her all about how amazing it was. Steven went back to Sam, and he could not stop talking about her. The day after their first date, they went to church together for the first time. This community would come to mean so much to them both. Less than a week after their first date was Thanksgiving, and to Bailey’s surprise and maybe orchestration, her family’s main topic of conversation was Steven (or Stevaughn as they called him). Steven and Bailey went on several more dates, including to the Grizz, the Longview arboretum, and several other places that are now very special to them. They discussed their hopes, their dreams, their “make-or-breaks,” and got to know each other more. In this time, Bailey fell for Steven more and more, becoming more enamored with the idea of a future with him. On December 8th, Steven set up a romantic picnic and asked Bailey to be his girlfriend, and she said yes! The months passed, and Steven only became more sure: Bailey was the one. Less than five months in, he knew he wanted to marry her. For the following seven months, he carefully planned the proposal, adjusting and reworking his plans to make sure she never saw it coming. In July, he went to Colorado with her family where he discussed this all with her dad. Bailey even walked in on the conversation, but she did not realize what was happening. On November 9th, he got down on one knee and asked her to spend the rest of their lives together. She did not even say yes: she just nodded. That was enough. Waiting for them after the proposal was a surprise engagement party at his house with so many of their family and closest friends. The best day ever. And just like that, what started as a simple introduction became the beginning of their love story.