We met on a dating app. We had our first date at Hillary’s apartment, as we were just entering a national pandemic. All the restaurants were closed. Hillary wanted to wait to meet, but Matthew insisted on meeting sooner. Our first hug was super awkward because we both put our arms the same way. Matthew passed the first test, getting past Hillary’s dog, Meatball. She knew this was a good sign. Minutes turned into hours, as we talked all night, sharing our life stories. We laughed and we cried- all on day number one. Then we drove to the beach and sat on the sand under a starry night.
We decided to plan a road trip to Ocala, FL for Matthew’s birthday weekend. Matthew really wanted to zip line. Hillary wasn’t really into it, but she wanted to do it to make him happy. Thinking we would be hiking, Hillary was casual. Matthew suggested she put on some makeup. She laughed but never thought twice about the comment. Matthew ordered a small Fanny pack for his waist. Hillary had no idea it was to carry a ring and he would be wearing it to zip over lakes and rocks. We zip lined 5 different lines over the course of a few hours during the early evening. On the last zip, Matthew decided he would propose as Hillary came zipping onto the platform. In reality, staff kicked him off the platform and he panicked. He asked a group member to “take a video” and proposed near the exit of the zip line.