How We Met: In 2022, Kiarra and Don met at an Italian restaurant on Aviano Air Base, just an hour away from Venice, Italy. He was new to Aviano and his frat brothers were introducing him to the “who’s who” around base. What Kiarra didn’t know was that Don already had his eye on her. Classic Don, he asked his friend to ‘hook him up,’ only to be told he’d have to handle that part on his own. The next day, they all decided to grab some sushi (yes, in Italy) before a mutual friend’s upcoming deployment. During dinner, the Kiarra and Don exchanged glances and shared a few jokes. Don says that from that moment on, Kiarra never took her eyes off him. While Kiarra says, Don was pulling out all his best (and worst) jokes—clearly trying to make an impression! They went on their first date on Valentine’s Day and the two have been inseparable ever since. Engagement Story: Don surprised me on our 1-year anniversary with the most beautiful evening. I thought we were just going to have dinner, drinks, and stay at one of our favorite downtown hotels. Instead, he took me to the stunning Tampa Edition, where we had an incredible dinner. When we returned to the room, I walked into a suite filled with rose petals, champagne, chocolates, and my favorite flowers—white lilies. Then, I found a card that said, ‘Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Gardner.’ I laughed, thinking it was a funny mistake since we weren’t even engaged yet. When I turned around to show Don, he was on one knee with a ring, asking me to marry him. It was the most perfect, romantic moment—one I’ll cherish forever.