On a hot, humid summer day (4th of July to be exact), there was a party in Connecticut hosted by Allie's Aunt and Uncle. Nate & Allie were around the age of 8 and 10 years old. Many family members and friends were present. As the day moved on and the sun started to set, everyone was headed down to the beach to watch fireworks over the ocean. *Sparks literally flew* ;) Nate, Allie, and her cousin all walked down an old pier which was among many large rocks that they eventually climbed down to. However, when Allie took a step down, she slipped and had her foot caught in between two rocks. Immediately, Nate reached out his hand and helped her. This is where it all began...

Through the years they had seen one another due to the friendship Allie's relatives had with Nate's family but they didn't reconnect until Memorial Day of 2017. Nate's family had moved down to Virginia and ended up inviting her family over for Memorial Day which is where they reconnected. Fast forward a week later, Nate was leaving for Deerfoot Lodge for the summer. Through that summer they communicated through letters in the mail. Once he got home he asked her to be his girlfriend and the rest is history...

On a cold winter day, Nate and Allie headed out to Williamsburg to spend time with family. Before everyone else got out there, they walked around this colonial town and reminisced over memories they had spent together in this familiar place. As they approached this giant oak tree it reminded them of a painting a dear friend had painted of them under that exact tree. Behind the tree was a garden that Nate led Allie to. As they walked down beside the tall hedges, they came to a stairway that led to a bench between two trees. This was truly where our story begins.