Michael, a fighter pilot who had recently graduated with distinction from the Air Force Academy, was flying simulated combat missions over Okinawa. Rachel was living in a rural fishing village, commissioned by the State Department to study the effects of coastal erosion on the local ecosystem. After a mid-flight engine malfunction, Michael was forced to crash land in a nearby meadow, managing not only to save everyone aboard, but also to spare a local schoolhouse in a never-before-seen aeronautic maneuver, posing great risk to himself. Rachel, guided by her lifelong credo - "country over self" - raced toward the wreckage while cradling a newborn orphan in her arms. As she pulled Michael from the rubble, their eyes met. To Michael, it was as if, at that moment, nothing else mattered in the world. To Rachel, it was destiny. Actually, they met on Jdate.

A few months ago, Mike summoned the courage to ask Rachel to marry him. Rachel gave him a "hard maybe." Mike, realizing the alternative could be worse, was totally cool with that. He's since been putting in long hours in the gym, hopeful that might move the needle toward an even more affirmative response. Stay tuned!

This one time, Mike hit four - count 'em - four homers in a rec league softball game. It was the talk of the courthouse the next day. You all probably read about it. Mike still talks about it. A lot.

These last two years with Mike have taught Rachel that she has a reserve of patience she never realized was possible.