On February 12th, 2018 I looked across the cafeteria and saw Mariah. I don’t know what exactly it was, but I knew I had to get to know her. Lucky for me, she was sitting across from her best friend Choyce who I already knew. After a couple texts with Choyce, we planned a way for me to meet her. Two days later, on Valentine’s Day, we had lunch with her friends... our conversation was full of nervous laughs and blushing faces, and for me it was game ON. Soon I found myself with a chance to ask her out, but my chance was slipping fast! With nothing else coming to mind, I blurted out “so uh, do you like bagels?!” Luckily she did. We scheduled a brunch date at Old School Bagel for the following Sunday where we lost track of time and talked for over 4 hours. The rest was history.

On February 12th, 2018 I was walking to the parking lot from class and my friend Choyce told me a guy had asked her about me. I remember writing it off in my mind as funny and likely not to lead to anything. A couple days later (on Valentine's Day), Choyce and I got to the cafeteria and she started looking for an extra chair "for a friend"; I looked up and made eye contact with Reagan across the cafeteria and we both knew the surprise ambush was up. My face turned bright red and my whole body filled with nervous jitters and stayed that way for the next couple hours as I tried to calm down and be on my best behavior (aka taking smaller bites and not getting seconds/thirds on dessert). After meeting Reagan that day at lunch, he began messaging me and made a way to see me again to properly ask me on a date. I really didn't know what to think of his direct intentionality and pursuit of me -- I had never seen or experienced that firsthand and at each new interaction with Reagan I thought, "what's really going on here?" It turns out he was just the best guy I'd ever met. When we had our first brunch date at Old School Bagel that Sunday, we talked openly and honestly about who we were and all the things that had gotten us there; it was so refreshing and exciting, and when he asked if he could call me sometime, I blushed and tried to hide my nervous excitement, saying "yeah, you can call me sometime" :) I still didn't really understand what was happening, but after that day Reagan called me and found new ways to see me almost every day. About a month later we decided to make things official -- I wrote my dad a sticky note that said "Reagan's gonna talk to you soon...be nice!" He was nice that day, and even more so two years later when Reagan came to ask him the next question..

Two years after meeting on Valentine's Day, I asked Mariah to marry me. I took her to a special spot of ours where we used to watch the planes take off and land at a nearby airport. When we got there, I set up candles and sang her the song I wrote for her. Then I gave her a dried rose... That rose was one of 12 roses I bought for her the day I was supposed to meet her. But that day, I decided that could come off pretty creepy (because it is). So instead I gave away eleven roses and kept one to give Mariah the day I proposed. (Long game, baby!) Surprisingly, Mariah still had no clue where this was going. So I had her close her eyes while I stepped behind her. When she turned around, I was on one knee with a ring. She screamed and couldn’t hardly move for about 60 seconds, which was reassuring that she actually likes me. Eventually, she said yes (followed by more screaming) and that day became what will always be one of the happiest days of my life.