Chapel Hill, NC—We were in the Parish Hall at the Chapel of the Cross for the Durham-Chapel Hill chapter of the American Guild of Organist's kick-off event. There was a catered dinner, followed by a recital by Dr. Robert Parris, the organ professor at Mercer University. My friend and colleague, Kathy Parkins, introduced me to a fellow organist who went to the same university as she did for her undergrad. He had just moved to the area, and she was trying to help him get settled and to introduce him to other organists in the area. His name: David Durkop.

Raleigh, NC—We had just attended an organ Masterclass in Raleigh, and it was a nice Fall day. David suggested we go to Umstead Park to take a walk and admire the Fall foliage. We walked down towards the lake... and he took my hand for the first time. Later, we shared our first kiss by the lake.

Durham, NC—It was just another remote workday. I had been working hard on creating a webpage for work, so David suggested ordering takeout from our favorite Durham restaurant, China Palace. So he ordered the food, picked it up, and set the table. Before we said grace, he went down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said, "Yes!"