Our journey began long before we were even born. Our families have known each other since 1988. Yes that long! We even have baby pictures of us together, one in particular shows me staring at Kennedy, and even 23 years later, I still can’t take my eyes off her. Our moms, Kim and Michelle, were sorority sisters in college, and through their friendship, we grew up in the same circles, always hearing about each other, but not ever meeting. It wasn’t until May 2024 that our paths truly crossed. They arranged a casual dinner at Chicken N’ Pickle for us to meet again. What was meant to be a simple get together turned into an unforgettable evening, we immediately hit it off. Our real first date happened just a few days later at YaYa’s, and it was nothing short of perfect. We spent nearly five hours together, with only about an hour spent eating. From that moment on, we were inseparable. It might sound cheesy, but it’s true: I knew I loved her just a month after that first date, and seven months later, I was ready with the ring. Over the Christmas break of 2024–2025, we went ring shopping. Kennedy fell in love with one particular ring right away; little did she know, I bought it that very day. I kept quiet about it, dodging questions about a receipt she ‘thought’ she saw. Before heading back to school, I asked her dad for his blessing and knew that everything was falling into place. Though I originally planned to propose after graduation, once I had the ring in hand, I couldn’t wait any longer. I chose Easter weekend, a time when I’d be home and she wouldn’t suspect a thing. She called me that Thursday with a suspicion something might happen, but I had to pull my best Ferris Bueller impression to convince her otherwise. After all, why propose the same weekend as my cousin and Easter the next day? The big day finally arrived. We spent the day at the KC River Market, where I bought her flowers and tried to keep my nerves in check despite barely eating. To keep the surprise going, I even pranked her by suggesting we go ring shopping again, that got me a death glare! But then, we made our way to Loose Park. There, surrounded by family holding signs filled with memories of us, from baby photos to our first date, first kiss, and our first “I love you”, we walked to the rose garden. At the end of the path I got down on one knee, and Kennedy made me the happiest man in the world when she said yes