"We have a problem," I read in an incoming text from my best friend (and now Best Woman), Laura. I was in the bathroom of our AirBNB after a day of museums and sightseeing across Washington D.C. with my soon to be fiancée. It was a long day, and unusually warm for an early February day. We of course had to take advantage of this blessing by riding Bird Scooters through the busy streets of the Nation's Capital, especially since Ariana had never seen the White House beyond pictures on screens and in books. We were bummed when the streets surrounding the president's home were blocked off by police cars. There must have been some kind of event or press conference, so we thought. I held my breath as I read the words and swiftly responded, "Please tell me it's not the ring... Please." As I waited for the little three dots to disappear and to read a text about a way less minor "problem," I thought about all the time and planning I had put into the perfect proposal idea over the last two months. Memories of our loved one's responses as I told them my plan to propose, all of the work that both Laura and Ariana's best friend, Kailee, had put into planning, the videos recorded by our loved ones counting down the days until this very day (it's on our socials if you haven't seen it, it's pretty cute). I thought about how I strategically had Laura pick up the ring from my house while we were shopping, avoiding our Ring doorbell, just so Ariana wouldn't find it - because if you know Ariana, you know nothing gets by her. The text comes through, and I panicked as Laura explained it was, in fact, the RING. In the most nonchalant, least suspicious, and calm manner, I beelined for the front door and muttered something to Ariana about needing to make a secret phone call, keeping my eyes cast to the floor. My breath was shaking, and I was sweating profusely, as I called Laura. She began to explain the situation and I put the pieces together. See, those flashing lights surrounding the White House were no insignificant precautions for a press conference. Those blue lights were the cause of a lockdown imposed by the Secret Service due to a "suspicious vehicle in the area." Laura went on to explain how that vehicle was parked in the same lot she had parked her car, just three cars down from her, with the ring in the center console. She said before she even sent the dreaded text, she tried everything to reason with the agent standing at the entrance to the lot. There were strict orders to stay away from that vehicle and not to allow anyone else near it. She assured me she would stand there until they let her through, and she would be the very first person out of that lot to make her way over. We hung up and to no avail, I tried everything to delay our planned dinner atop "La Vie," a very popular and upscale restaurant in D.C.'s Wharf District. I started developing plans to make the engagement happen without a ring, even considering using a Ring Pop at one point. I knew it had to happen, no matter how hard the Secret Service was trying to sabotage my plans. Even though Ariana had come to D.C. for the Billie Eilish concert we attended earlier that week, I was there to ask her to marry me. And, not to mention, I booked a rooftop igloo for this moment and couldn't cancel that! The panic continued and Ariana was confused at the sight at her usually calm and collected girlfriend in this state of mind. I told her about the Secret Service lockdown. I told her that the restaurant was really close to the White House (it wasn't) and we might not get to have dinner where I had planned. She tried to calm me down, saying she would be happy to have dinner anywhere. None of it worked, but then the next text came... "We got through!!" And, well, here you are now, reading this story.