Kristen and Jeffy met during their undergraduate nursing program at the University of San Francisco in the fall of 2019, when they found themselves in the same Sociology class. By God’s glory and perfect plan, Jeffy was never supposed to be in that class. A last-minute conflict with his nursing clinicals forced him to switch sections, and a week into the semester he was placed in Kristen’s. What seemed like a simple schedule change was really the beginning of their love story. At the time, Kristen was a shy, academically focused junior who mostly kept to herself and her best friend, Christine, also in the class. Jeffy, meanwhile, was a talkative, easygoing senior who sat just one row over with his close friends Ben and Brando — mischievous at times, but his closest companions. For months, Kristen and Jeffy never spoke. Jeffy remembers being struck by Kristen’s quiet charm as she walked in with a calm, composed expression, went straight to her seat, and unpacked her laptop without ever glancing his way. Was she playing hard to get, he wondered, or just focused on class? Kristen recalls being surprised when she overheard Jeffy once say he was heading to a Zedd concert right after lecture — dressed in a lavender polo, no less. She couldn’t quite figure him out: studious and well-intentioned, or just another boy chasing fun? Over time, Jeffy and his friends got to know Christine, and by mid-October she introduced Kristen and Jeffy, encouraging them both to connect. With Christine’s encouragement — and Ben and Brando’s well-intentioned teasing — a spark was lit that soon grew into their relationship. Jeffy had a coveted campus parking pass, won in the school lottery, and usually drove his friends to class and home. Since Sociology ended after 8 p.m., he offered Kristen and Christine rides too — if they didn’t mind squeezing into his 2006 Acura TL alongside Ben and Brando. Though Kristen wasn’t sure of his intentions, Jeffy never hesitated — he had grown up in a church culture where giving rides was an act of service and fellowship. Not long after, Kristen and Jeffy began talking more through Instagram DMs and texts. One chilly day, Kristen finally gave in and messaged that she’d take him up on his ride offer. From then on, their conversations — both in the car and online — grew deeper, filled with laughter, warmth, and meaning. Within weeks, they spent more time together, diving into conversations about life, family, and faith. They soon realized they were a strong match — both joyful, family-oriented, and united in their desire to grow in Christ. Kristen admired Jeffy’s depth of heart and his faith journey, seeing him as someone she wanted to know better. Jeffy was in awe of Kristen’s devotion to her family, her curiosity in faith, and her maturity and compassion. On one of their first outings at Volcano Curry with Brando as a third wheel, Kristen was so nervous she barely touched her food, only to finish it later at home. On another evening, Jeffy circled for parking with Kristen by his side for over an hour — a ride that turned into something far more meaningful. There, Kristen opened her heart and shared her feelings for the first time, a tender moment that made the wait unforgettable. By the time they arrived at SuperPan, their friends were already paying the bill, but for Kristen and Jeffy, the night had already become priceless. After weeks of reflection, Jeffy realized he couldn’t wait any longer — Kristen was someone worth pursuing wholeheartedly. One evening during a study date at Kristen’s apartment, the two shared their hearts for hours and hopes for the future. In the early hours of November 17, 2019, well past his bedtime, Jeffy nervously looked into her eyes and asked, “Will you be my girlfriend?” Kristen smiled, nodded, and happily said yes. What began with a ride home after class became the ride of a lifetime — a journey led by God’s plan, now carrying them into marriage and forevermore.

Jeffy proposed to Kristen on her 25th birthday dinner celebration at Angelicas in Redwood City, surrounded by 22 of their closest friends and loved ones. In the months leading up to the engagement, Kristen had told Jeffy she hoped for a private proposal. To catch her completely by surprise, Jeffy did the exact opposite — planning a proposal in front of all her closest friends on her birthday night. To make the moment unforgettable, Jeffy turned to Kimalene Gee, the mother of his friend Matthew Gee and the talented owner of her own baked goods company. He asked if she could bake a cake with the engagement ring hidden inside, so that Kristen would discover it while cutting into her birthday cake. Kimalene crafted a beautiful tiramisu cake, carefully hollowing out the interior and placing the ring box — securely wrapped in foil and protective casing — inside after baking the layers. To keep the surprise intact, Jeffy didn’t tell anyone attending about the proposal, except for his photographer and videographer, Andrew and Audrey. He wanted the evening to feel like a true birthday celebration for Kristen, without the nervous anticipation from the guests giving anything away. In fact, whenever friends asked if he was planning to propose that night, Jeffy said he was saving it for Christmas Day. Even as guests walked into the restaurant and teased him with the same question, he grinned and flat-out told them no — keeping the surprise perfectly intact. On that special birthday afternoon, Jeffy and Andrew picked up the cake from Kimalene just before heading to the restaurant. All evening long, the cake sat secretly tucked away in a cooler bag under the dessert table — hiding its sweet surprise until the perfect moment. Jeffy decorated the private section of the restaurant with floral centerpieces, party favors featuring a childhood photo-sticker of Kristen as a flower girl proudly showing off her painted nails with the caption “Look Who’s 25!”, along with Dandelion chocolate gifts and hand-selected wine bottles. The space glowed with the warm flicker of candles on the tables and the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree nearby, wrapping the evening in a festive and romantic charm. Surrounded by this cozy atmosphere, the night unfolded joyfully with laughter, games — including “Who Knows the Birthday Girl Best?” (where Jeffy discovered Kristen is actually more of a dog person than a cat person) — and unforgettable memories. When it was time for dessert, Jeffy encouraged Kristen to cut the cake. The plan was for the ring to spill out with the chocolate chips on her first slice, but it stayed firmly in place at the center. Kristen’s slice was too small to reveal the surprise, so Jeffy stepped in and cut a comically large piece — nearly a third of the cake. As someone whispered in the background, “Maybe there’s something hidden inside,” Kristen looked at him in confusion, wondering why he was cutting such an unusually large slice. The mystery was revealed when Jeffy slipped on a glove and pulled a foil-wrapped box from the center of the cake. Though he hadn’t planned for it to be so long, Jeffy spoke from the heart for over ten minutes, reflecting on their journey together and expressing his love for Kristen. Fighting back tears, he said, “You have shown me more love in these last five years than I’ve experienced from anyone in my entire life.” He continued, “I’d only regret one thing, and that is to not have the chance to marry you,” as the room grew still and guests began to sniffle. In a heartfelt yet playful conclusion, he quoted Kristen’s favorite artist, Taylor Swift: “It’s been a long time coming.” Then, he dropped to one knee and asked Kristen to marry him. With the Christmas tree glowing beside them and candles flickering all around, Kristen said yes — and their greatest gift became each other, turning a winter birthday into the beginning of forever.