I was told all the time "it happens when you least expect it." And I would always roll my eyes because I, as an English major, hate clichés. Unfortunately for me, this cliché that I hated so much proved itself to be true. Three years ago, I started following an Instagram feature account, and over the course of those three years, I started following all of Steve's friends, and eventually, on January 25th of 2016, both of us followed each other on Instagram. Nothing happened at first, and I thought nothing of it. Over a few months, cue a few comments on my pictures, and then responses to my Instagram stories. He was just being friendly, I thought. But then October 27th of 2016 rolled around. I was in Chicago with my mom for fall break, and I happened to post an Instagram story of one of my favorite paintings that was in the Art Institute. Instagram Boy, as I referred to him, responded to that story. That encounter led to a two hour Instagram direct message conversation. I laughed to my mom that night that I thought this random guy was hitting on me, but still I was skeptical. But then he kept talking to me. I soon began to hope that maybe, maybe, maybe this sweet man who liked all of the weird things that I did was possibly interested in me. I added him on Facebook. And then I couldn't wait anymore and I gave him my number. Before I knew it, all day texting from first thing in the morning to when we went to bed turned into our first FaceTime call the night before Thanksgiving. We talked for three hours, and he told me he liked me. He told me he wanted to date me. So late at night on the 23rd of November, I giggled underneath a blanket and said I would date him. On December 28th, I flew up to Richmond to meet him in person for the first time. I remember walking off the plane, freaking out. Every muscle was tensed as I walked up to the gate, where he stood with a massive bouquet of white daisies. I wrapped my arms around him, and I knew I was home.

It was 5:30 in the morning on Sunday, May 7th, and I was awake. I crept around the cabin, down the stairs, to where Steve was waiting for me with a cup of coffee. We both were clearly excited as we left the cabin only a bit later, just as the sun was rising. We drove through back mountain roads at 6 in the morning, just as the fog was rising, as though the mountains were throwing off their misty blankets to invite the sun to warm them. We drove alone, passing almost no one on the way to my favorite place on earth, Cades Cove. We drove out to the center of the scenic route and walked out into a field. Steve had told me he had been making something for the proposal (yes, I knew it was happening), and as we stood there amidst the mountains, he pulled out a package and unwrapped a beautiful album filled with black and white film pictures that he had taken of our relationship, with a line from our song "Wilderness" by Jon Bryant written under each photograph. (of course I was crying the entire time) As he got to the end of the part of the album that was filled, he said, "The album isn't filled yet, though. Will you help me fill up the rest of it?" He got down on one knee, pulled out the ring box and asked me to marry him. I was crying so hard I just nodded and hugged him, and he had to ask me if that was really a yes since I didn't say anything. Hah!