Nikki’s Version: When I first saw his dating profile, I thought, “He’s cute… but a firefighter? That probably means trouble.” Still, I was intrigued (even despite learning he was a Giants fan shortly after we matched). After a few failed attempts to meet up in person, we finally set a date: December 18th, 2021—also my dog Fitz’s 1st birthday (sorry, Fitz). As I was heading out the door for our date, I told Fitz I’d be back in an hour to celebrate his birthday with cake and ice cream. Unfortunately for him, that turned out to be a lie. I arrived early to the brewery and nervously scrolled on my phone until I heard, “Hey, Nicolette?” I looked up and saw a smiling, handsome face staring back at me. We grabbed a flight of beers and headed to the patio. What I expected to be a night of obligatory first-date questions coupled with moments of awkward silence, turned out to be hours of what felt like catching up with an old friend. We played cornhole (he did not let me win), he pulled out a deck of cards for a magic trick (a trick I still haven’t figured out), exchanged our favorite Post Malone songs, and ended the night with Jack in the Box, where I introduced him to the magic of ranch on a taco. It was the best first date ever—and now poor Fitz has to share his birthday with our date-versary every year.

Miro’s Version: After tirelessly researching every Sedona trail, I landed on the iconic Broken Arrow Trail for its stunning red rock views and peaceful, off-the-beaten-path vibe—just right for proposing to my soulmate, Nikki. Knowing she’s not a fan of crowds or being the center of attention, I booked a Jeep tour that would take us to more secluded viewpoints. Our first stop, fittingly, was a place called Chicken Point. As the Jeep rolled to a stop and we stepped out into the sweeping desert landscape, my heart was racing—part nerves, part excitement, and part pure anticipation to finally show her the ring I had chosen for her. I dropped to one knee and asked her to be mine forever. She kept me sweating with a dramatic pause—before breaking into a huge smile and saying “yes!” in a moment I’ll never forget. It was the perfect start to our Sedona getaway, and an even more perfect beginning to this next chapter together. Nikki insists she knew the proposal was coming… but judging by her cute reaction (check the video!), I’d say I still managed to catch her off guard. https://www.instagram.com/p/DDlBhHgyxDtdhhnFjfCI9EnOnrjHo1I7LnDbxs0/?igsh=a2k1bGlmZmI1NWV2