Our story begins March 2021 with each of us recently moving to Little Italy, a neighborhood just outside downtown San Diego. Coming off of mask wearing, excessive hand washing and Green Bay Packers puzzles (only Stephen), we were both relishing in the opportunity to socialize outside of our homes. Meeting and dating people during and after covid was difficult, so we both decided to continue our luck on a dating app after relocating closer to the city. Both of us are forever thankful we did. We matched, and after a few exchanges that revealed we had multiple mutual friends, planned our first date at a local cocktail lounge. It was filled with laughter, connection, and the feeling that maybe this could lead somewhere. Stephen was instantly drawn in to Shabs' adorable smile and insanely infectious charm. Aside from first noticing Stephen's height, Shabs quickly felt comfortable and relaxed in conversation constantly grinning from ear to ear. Living a quick 5 minute walk from each other didn't hurt either. As the dates and time together progressed we felt more and more at ease completely being ourselves, though it took much longer for Shabs' cat Juju to feel the same about Stephen... Fast forward countless fun nights together, Stephen getting Shabs on the golf course, multiple airline debacles, Shabs' exquisite home cooked meals, families meeting for the first time and many other wonderful experiences, Stephen finally got down on one knee December 16th, 2023 on Coronado beach. The timing, the setting and most importantly the person felt right to us both.