For those who were curious :)

The University of Maryland Repertoire Orchestra is an orchestra that is open to both music and non-music majors at the university. Being a tuba major, Nick was a part of many music ensembles and was in his second year of UMRO. Despite being an art major, Cheryl had taken private piano lessons for 9 years so she decided to audition for the group as a freshman. The piano sat in front of the tuba during rehearsals. :) Every year, there were probably only two piano parts that Cheryl was a part of for UMRO. Most rehearsals for her were in and out. Nick and Cheryl mostly just exchanged glances and had the occasional small talk, but that was all for the time being.

Although Nick and Cheryl both lived in the same dorm (Bel Air Hall) during 2013, their paths never really crossed besides UMRO rehearsals. Cheryl made a tight-knit crew with the girls on her floor. In 2014, Nick traded in the dorm life for a house with six other guys. They dubbed it the House of 7. As luck would have it, Cheryl and her friends were also close with some of Nick’s new housemates so they’d often hang out at the House of 7. Nick and Cheryl would sometimes team up for games, but they didn't see much of each other otherwise.

Like most of their early encounters, Nick and Cheryl were hanging out at their friend's Halloween party. Nick was a construction worker and Cheryl was Rosie the Riveter. When the party had finally died down and it was time to leave, like the gentleman he was, Nick offered Cheryl and her two friends a ride back home. After they were dropped off, Nick asked for Cheryl's number and that was the start of a new chapter.

Nick asked Cheryl to move in with him in February 2020. Just two weeks later, news of the coronavirus broke out and shut down the world. Despite both having to work from home and being in the same house 24/7, they relished all of the quality time they got to spend together and grew even closer. What a blessed realization it was to love being in each other's presence!

Being big homebodies, it was unusual for Nick and Cheryl to travel far from home. But this year for spring break, Nick planned a short little weekend getaway for the two of them to Cacapon State Park in West Virginia. They stayed at a resort that was right next to the park's golf course. It was a wholesome and peaceful weekend filled with golf, fishing, hiking, hot tubs, and downtown exploring. On the last night of their stay, Nick made a fancy dinner reservation. Afterwards while on the walk back to the resort, Cheryl asked Nick if there was anything else he wanted to do on their trip. She heard him say "Well, actually..." and when she turned around, he was on his knee.