Once upon a time in 2019, two people found themselves single and swiping. Calvin had just arrived in Florida to visit his mom and stepdad, and I was staying with my younger sister in Pittsfield following my dad's stroke. Somehow we landed in each other's radiuses, even though we were literally states away when we matched. After lots of dry banter, sending each other countless music videos on Youtube, and having the deepest talks about everything, we decided to give "us" a try and see where things would go.

After relocating to Erie, living through a global pandemic, and going through the wildest ups and downs, we knew were in it for the long haul. In early 2024, I was recovering from surgery and was feeling a little stir-crazy, so Calvin took me out for a sweet date night. It was just dinner and a movie, nothing fancy, but it felt like magic. On the way home, I even joked, “I kind of thought you were going to propose tonight.” He laughed it off… until we got home. Suddenly he turned to me, pulled out a ring, and started to speak. I don't even remember specifically what he said; I just know I was crying. Then I apologized for crying (obviously). He laughed and said, “Of course you’d cry and apologize during a proposal.”