Distance Didn't Stand A Chance

*We are both in the Army National Guard and met in 2019 during Annual Training. We were both cooks at this time.* Riela's POV: My first memory of Murray is when we were taking the lids off third pans. The new ones were especially difficult to remove. He showed off by being the first to get his off, but did it secretly so I’d have to ask him for help. After that, he caught my attention, and I made sure to be around him—sitting next to him during dinner or prepping breakfast together. I even remember texting a friend, telling them I met a cute cook. On our last day of cooking in the field, I made sure to get his Snapchat so we could keep in touch. Once we returned to base, we made plans to meet up and hang out. One of our favorite spots became the pier, where we played Go Fish, and he cheated by looking at the reflection in my glasses to see my cards. The morning before he left, he helped me cook breakfast, and afterward, we exchanged numbers and made plans to meet up outside of work. The rest, as they say, is history. Murray's POV: It all started on June 2, 2019. Riela and I weren’t in the same unit, but our units were training together. We were out in the "field," setting up our equipment, when I first spotted her working on the tents and other gear. At that moment, I was sick and ended up puking—hardly a great first impression. Two or three days into our field training exercise (FTX), we finally interacted. She helped me carry some things back and forth, even though my social skills were practically nonexistent—I never thought to ask about her. She, on the other hand, always asked about me, despite my quiet interest in her. Our next big moment was the one Riela described above, involving the lids being removed. Toward the end of our annual training (AT), we returned to cantonment, where we got to spend more time together. We tried juggling, stargazing, and, for some reason, I sketched an overview of my house layout (still no idea why, haha). We hung out at a pier—our first unofficial date—played Go Fish, and swapped contact info. Five years later, that same pier became the spot where I proposed to her.