Don and Kat met when they were around 14 years old at a church formal. Don was introduced to Kat, and believed it was "love at first sight" for Don. However, Kat viewed him as a friend because, well, he gave off "friend vibes". In Don's defense, he's naturally an introvert and shy, but would always look forward to seeing her at church events to say hi (not creepy at all). After many church events and saying hello in passing, Don whipped up the courage to ask Kat for her number. After many texts and facetime calls, he finally asked Kat on a date to Glendale Americana in 2013, which she said yes to. Unfortunately, to say the least, both of them described their date as uneventful. After a couple days of overthinking their first date, Kat didn't contact Don after that, but he eventually realized it was best that they remained friends. Don left California a couple months after their encounter to travel with his family for the next couple of years, and the two eventually lost contact - or so they thought. After a lot of time passed and some relationships later, Don made a new Instagram and sent a friend request to Kat during the pandemic in 2020. A year later, Kat noticed that Don started posting more often, which grew her curiosity on how he was doing after all these years, but ultimately thought nothing of it. Don made a quick visit to California in September of 2021 for his friends' wedding, and Don was thinking of Kat. So he did what this generation does- he slid in her DMs! When she read his message, she thought it was coincidental because she was thinking about him a couple days before that. She responded to his message and once again, began their late night talks and facetime calls. Despite the time difference, everything felt natural. Kat knew what Don meant to her, and after just a couple of weeks, she confessed her feelings to him. To prove that she wasn't kidding, she flew to Maryland not knowing what to expect, ignoring the fact that she had never been to the East Coast, let alone to meet someone she hasn't seen in years. The day they both anticipated was here. After a 6-hour flight, Kat descended on the escalator to meet Don face to face. As they locked eyes, they felt an instant relief, and knew that this time was different. They had an unforgettable SECOND date! They caught up on their eventful years since they last spoke, had heartfelt conversations about the future, and soon enough, their relationship blossomed. They remained long distance in 2022, and decided to move to Washington the following year. On June 23, 2023, Don proposed to Kat where they had their first date - Glendale Americana (we've finally come full circle)! In his speech he said, "Remember the first thing I told you when I picked you up at the airport in Maryland? I said "I've been waiting for this moment." Kat felt immediate joy and disbelief that after so many years, she never thought that the boy she met many years ago would be the man asking to marry her, but God works in mysterious ways. With her (obvious) answer being yes, their invisible string solidified, and their favorite chapter is just the beginning. Their love was definitely worth the wait.