Maritime would never be described as a large school. With that being said, there were even fewer girls. The close-knit community the school fostered allowed us to officially meet our sophomore year. Matt was the lacrosse bro, and Skye was the sailing nerd. We spent our college years traveling the world together with friends aboard the school’s training ship. One of our fondest memories is walking the streets of Mallorca while eating fresh seafood.

Shortly after graduation, Skye headed to Alaska while Matt began his career in the Gulf. This marked the beginning of five years of long distance. During COVID, Matt worked internationally in Guyana while Skye found herself stuck in the Middle East. Like most, our lives eventually pivoted back toward normalcy after the madness. Matt returned to a 28/28 schedule, and Skye worked a 75/75 rotation. That all changed when Skye decided to take a shoreside job, cutting the distance—and time apart—in half.

Like two ships passing in the night, our time together was brief and often fleeting, which made every moment all the more meaningful. Matt always made the time we had together special. As most would imagine, time is precious in our relationship, and even the smallest disruption can cause a few grumbles. Matt told Skye he needed to go to Long Island to fish (work) for the weekend. Skye, more than happy to go, agreed. Matt left before sunrise as he normally would for fishing—or so Skye thought. He returned at the usual time and suggested a trip to the beach. Since it was Nessie’s first time on Long Island, the beach was a must. Matt took Skye on a hike through the bluffs before walking down to the beach in the mist. He pointed out some balloons on the sand that needed to be cleaned up and picked up a clam shell lying beside them. The shell was tied to the balloons with fishing line. Matt dropped to one knee and presented the shell.