John and Ryan had their first date at 9th Street Public House in downtown Columbia, MO. Was it awkward? Probably. Ryan remembered most of the details from that evening. John remembered...nothing. Well, close to nothing. He couldn't forget the plaid pattern of Ryan's shirt, the retelling of Ryan's long and sordid history with the law, or the kiss at the end of the night. More dates followed, so the first one must have been pretty okay after all. The burning question, though: does John remember their second date? Nope. He's terrible.

Speaking of burning, Ryan's proposal could have caused their now-finished home to go up in flames--one tealight candle for every day they'd been dating, lined up on kraft paper to form a walkway from the mudroom to the master bedroom. Very romantic. Very, very dangerous. There was also one flower for every month of courtship, which formed a beautiful, and safe, bouquet. The entire time John thought he was meeting with their builder to address a construction issue. Slick move, Ryan. However, the surprise didn't end there. After heartfelt words and a couple joyful tears, Ryan took John to 44 Stone where their friends were waiting to celebrate the newly engaged couple. Good thing John said yes!