Together Always

Danielle and Eric met in Oklahoma City in 2018 when both started working at Integris Baptist Medical Center as newly graduated registered nurses. They became quick friends, joking with one another to pass through the hard night shifts and supporting each other when they were drowning in work. One day, Danielle mentioned she was going sky-diving with a friend, and Eric suddenly said he'd always wanted to go sky-diving and would like to go too. So there they were, sitting in a small plane, strapped tightly to a couple of strangers, and holding each other's shaking hands, ready to jump out into the sky. This wasn't even a date! The eventual first date was to the state fair, where they ate plenty of food, pet some cute animals, and rode the ferris wheel. When COVID finally hit, not even that could keep them separated, choosing to isolate together because might as well! They worked together anyways and apparently they liked to do things together as a team. Danielle's ticking timeline to return to California was becoming shorter. Eric had a choice to make to either stay in Oklahoma, his home, or follow Danielle. After a year and some months together, jumping out of planes, working through COVID, adopting a cute little black cat, and making so many memories together, of course he followed her. Now here they are, two fur babies (Laszlo and Goose) and a significant wine collection later, living it up in California. They spend almost all their time together - reading, playing murder mystery games, watching cult/murder documentaries, going to trivia nights with her parents, cooking delicious recipes, and sipping wine in Napa Valley. So it's not much of a surprise that Eric, on their belated 5-year anniversary celebration in Napa, went down to one knee and asked Danielle to marry him. Well... Danielle was the only one surprised and immediately cried half her make up away before saying "of course!" Of course, she'd marry him, after all the obstacles they've faced together, this was almost the easiest thing they'd do. Nothing really beats jumping out of a plane with the person they'd spend the rest of their life with, even if they didn't know at the time.