One night in January 2021, Sarah joined a dating app for no real reason other than that she was feeling particularly single that day. She came across Michael’s picture and due to his suave good looks and killer suit, promptly messaged him. After texting for a few weeks, they decided to meet in person. It was February 21, 2021, when they met at Naples Pier for their first date. Each had the mentality of: “If this isn’t the right person, I don’t want to waste my time.” And so, they set off and proceeded to (cordially) grill each other on nearly every controversial topic imaginable. To their surprise, not only did they agree on practically everything, but there was an ease and familiarity that was unlike anything they’d experienced before. After dinner at Caffe Milano, they said goodbye and Michael knew in his heart that this would be his last first date. But February 21st had not been their first encounter. A few weeks into dating, Michael remembered that on December 6, 2020 while standing outside of Skillets Restaurant in Naples, he had seen Sarah there. Michael had tried to work up the courage to introduce himself, but never got the chance. Sarah would message him just a few weeks later, having no idea that Michael had seen her before. Luck? Nah. It was God planning everything out. As the weeks went on, Michael and Sarah quickly became best friends - cooking dinner, going to Mass, exploring Naples, and spending time with Michael’s best friends, Dino and Enzo (golden retrievers). It didn't take long before the “e-word” (aka “engagement”) began to be used frequently. While Sarah went to a wedding in Nashville in June, Michael secretly made a one-day round trip to Illinois just to ask for her dad's permission to marry her. Then, on June 21, 2021, four months after their first date, Michael took Sarah to the beach and after surprising her with the news that he'd traveled to Chicago, asked if she would marry him. At which point she cried and of course, said yes!