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My sister’s boyfriend (now husband), Kyle, threw her a 30th birthday celebration tailgating in the Royal Kauffman Stadium parking lot. We drank cold Boulveard beer out of glass bottles and mingled, avoiding people we didnt know. I was clinging to my best male friend, my parents, and my other sister. One of Kyle’s friend’s, Jason, was invited to this event with the intention of meeting me. Yes, a setup. For what seemed like an awkward hour of diverting eyes and wanting him to introduce himself, I walked over and said, “Hi, my name is Mara. I’m Katlin’s sister.” He took a sip of beer and said matter-of-factly, “I know.” After a few hours of drinking in the hot sun and actively not eating the large tinfoil pans filled to the brim with fried chicken that Kyle had so graciously purchased, we ventured into the stadium for the game. On our way into the stadium Jason and I sidled up to each other. He asked my opinion fiest of another man in attendance, then about another woman. I was very confused at this point. He said I had something on my shirt, I looked down, and he flicked his finger up to my nose. What was this man playing at!? Jason sat next to my dad during the game. My dad took a picture with him because, “he might be your husband someday.” I also took a group picture of our row which included Jason on the complete opposite side. We ventured to the bars after the game. The chicken pans took up too much room in Katlin’s car, so I rode with Jason. We made awkward small talk. We parked and walked the rest of the way to the bar. He didn’t feel well so I distracted him with 20 questions. When I asked him if I should keep going he said yes. Favorite flower? I asked, losing momentum with my questions, “Moon Lilly.” I love lillies, I responded. Jump ahead to the end of the night when his friend Kyle told me Jason “dug me.” He was also confused and thought I was dating my friend Kyle but flirting with him! I hugged him goodbye and asked for his number. Someone had to!

Jason planned a secret trip to the Grand Canyon. I had never seen the Grand Canyon. We traveled here before on our way to a wedding in Arizona, but due to a delay in our road trip and daylight savings time, it was dark when we arrived. He more than made up for it with this trip. We stopped im Flagstaff, his old college city, the night before. I kept going back and forth in my mind if he was going to propose or not. I landed on not, especially when we had walked around quite a bit and nothing had happened. Finally, he led me off the path and away from people. He got down on one knee and proposed. I cried and said yes, of course! I was so excited I jumped arpund a bit and he was nervous I’d fall off the edge or he’d drop the ring. Thankfully neither of those things happened. He explained my custom ring with an engraving of elvish from The Lord of the Rings, “one ring to bind them.”