I (Tabitha) got on Bumble again shortly after New Year's 2021. Casey was one of the first guys I matched with, but he took his time getting to know me on the app. I was beginning to wonder if he was just gonna talk my ear off, or ask me on a date! But as I would later learn, he was trying to show respect. He chose Bellini's because it was halfway for both of us and Italian is my favorite. I had no idea what I was walking into, and it was awkward at first. But once we finished our meal, we ended up sitting there enjoying conversation for a while! I was surprised that we were able to keep finding things to talk about, and attracted to how he was willing and able to keep the conversation going. I left the date and texted two of my friends "He's SUPER CUTE!" Casey asked for a second date a couple of days later. I was supposed to be going on a date with another guy, but he had not yet followed through. I was at a bachelorette weekend and asked my friend what to do, and she said, "Go on the date with the guy you like!" Calling me out that I already clearly had a crush on Casey. We found so many similarities on that second date over Mexican food (his favorite)! For our third date, we ended up walking over FIVE MILES on the Jemison Trail and into Mountain Brook before dinner at Sol Y Luna. We weren't ready for the date to end and got ice cream. It was on that bench outside Mountain Brook Creamery that we first admitted we liked each other and wanted to only see each other. He spent the next week wondering why he didn't ask me to be his girlfriend then and officially asked during our next date January 31! We took turns making the drive between Alabaster and Birmingham about twice a week as he finished up nursing school. When it was time to move to Birmingham for his job, God it worked it out so that we lived 5 minutes from each other! That allowed our relationship to deepen and grow.

We both knew sometime in the fall that marriage was where we were headed. It was more like a steady confidence than an aha! moment. But I had no idea when that would be. Casey asked my dad's permission right before Thanksgiving and told me about it. He was so humbled and grateful that Dad said yes without hesitation! Casey had told Dad then that it would be sometime in December, with the intention of a six month engagement. I still thought the earliest he would propose was our anniversary, but for all I knew it could be another year. At Thanksgiving, Mom asked if we could tell the family that he had asked Dad, and all of us Ledbetter women were hugging and crying happy tears in the kitchen. Mammaw said, "Of course we knew it was coming!" How we each fit so well within each of our families is something that I am endlessly thankful for. I took Friday, Dec. 3 off school because I knew I'd be exhausted after our Christmas concert the night before. Casey happened to be off, so we planned to spend the day together. He received an email the night before that my ring had arrived! The next morning, he suggested we take a walk on the Jemison Trail since I had been wanting to revisit it while there was still some fall color. He told me he was "going to the store" before coming to my house. Y'ALL. He was literally dragging me off the couch. I had on zero makeup and workout clothes! We got to the Jemison Trail and leisurely meandered our way through it. We stood in the middle of the new bridge while I stretched. I had one arm out my jacket when he said "Hey, I have a question for you" and got down on one knee! He had taken the ring out of the box and was holding it out to me, and asked "Would you like to be my wife?" I had already grabbed the ring and was putting it on my finger when he shook his head and laughed "that's not an answer!" I finally squeaked out a "Yes!" He stood and we hugged, misty eyed. Then we celebrated with lunch at Sol Y Luna, recreating our third date.