We're getting married!

At the beginning of our freshman year, before COVID hit and we were still going to school in person, Ethan and I actually had a class together but never talked. Then spring break happened, everything shut down, and we went fully virtual. That summer is when everything really started. Ethan followed me on Instagram, and from that point on, we basically never stopped talking. What started as casual messages turned into texting all day and staying up way too late on FaceTime, falling asleep mid-conversation more times than I can count. During such a weird and uncertain time, talking to him felt easy and normal. When school switched to a hybrid schedule, we finally got to see each other in person, masks and all. Once we did, that was it. We became inseparable. If you saw one of us, the other was usually right there too, unless we had to be apart for class. What started as a simple Instagram follow during one of the strangest times in our lives turned into my favorite love story, and now a lifetime together 🤍

Ethan proposed on Veterans Day, and the entire day felt just unusual enough to notice, but not unusual enough to make me suspicious. While I was at work, my dad texted me that we were having a campfire with s’mores to celebrate, and that Ethan had already said we would be there. That immediately felt a little off because Ethan never goes anywhere without waiting on me first. I also absolutely hate driving, so we always ride together. Later, I told my mom I was going to run home and change before heading over, and she practically insisted that I come straight there without changing. It felt strange, but even then, a proposal never crossed my mind. After work, I went over and sat down on the bench by the fire with Nora in the backyard. When Mom and Ethan went inside to grab the s’mores, my mom very specifically told me not to help them at all. I thought that was a little odd, especially since I wasn’t even planning on going inside. I was going to stay right there and watch Nora anyway since we were sitting so close to the fire. Still, I brushed it off and didn’t think much of it. A few minutes later, Mom and Ethan came back outside with the s’mores tray. Ethan walked over to hand it to me, and right in the center was a ring. Before I could even process what was happening, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. My heart could have burst. I was surrounded by my parents and sweet Nora, and it truly felt like the most perfect moment, created by my favorite people. And the funniest part of the whole thing is that when Ethan started walking toward me, my dad scooped Nora off the bench so fast that I almost fell straight into the fire. It’s all on video, and we laugh about it every single time. It was the easiest yes of my life, and the sweetest start to our forever. 💍✨🔥