It was April 23rd, 2022. Karlie had just come home from Anderson University for the weekend when she got invited to a bonfire at Carolyn’s house. Curious (and maybe just a little nosy), she asked Carolyn which single guys would be there—just to get a feel for who was on the market. Carolyn rattled off a few names that didn’t really catch Karlie’s interest. Then came, “Do you remember Chase Hartway from high school? He’ll be here in about five minutes.” Intrigued, Karlie figured she’d wait and see what Chase looked like these days—and if there was any potential spark. At the bonfire, Karlie stood out in her own quiet way—one of the few not drinking, sipping on a bottle of Minute Maid pink lemonade she’d brought with her. She started observing Chase from afar and noticed something interesting: someone offered him a beer, and he politely declined. That caught her attention. Looking for a way to strike up a conversation, Karlie walked over and offered him some of her pink lemonade. At first, Chase hesitated, unsure if it had been spiked, but Karlie reassured him that she was also staying sober that night. And just like that, a simple gesture turned into a conversation that lasted all evening. They laughed, caught up on life since high school, and connected in a way that neither of them expected. Later that night, the group decided to head to QT. Karlie drove the girls, while Carolyn rode with Chase—and made sure Karlie’s number found its way into his phone. (Thanks, Carolyn!) Over the next week, Karlie and Chase started talking more and more—mostly over Snapchat. One evening, Karlie messaged him saying, “I’m bored.” Chase replied, “Want to play Minecraft together?” And from that moment on, they were in each other’s lives nearly every day. They gamed, they laughed, and they began to build something real. In the weeks that followed, Karlie introduced Chase to her family and he was there for her baptism. She met his family too. On June 2nd, they went on their first official date to The Lazy Goat, and on July 7th, 2022, Chase asked Karlie to be his girlfriend. Three years later, on August 31st, 2025, Chase asked Karlie an even bigger question. Karlie thought they were just heading out for a simple double date in Clemson, but when Chase pulled into the South Carolina Botanical Gardens, she was a little surprised. Inside, they found Kennedy, who explained that the restaurant was “actually in the gardens.” Karlie went along with it, though she started to feel a bit suspicious as they walked further in. Eventually, Chase led her toward a wooden gazebo overlooking a quiet pond. As they got closer, Karlie noticed flowers arranged on the deck of the gazebo, and then Ethan suddenly popped out of the bushes with a camera. Through tears, Karlie looked at Kennedy and Chase and asked, “Are you serious?” For the next few minutes, Chase tried to calm Karlie as she cried happy tears. Then, in the middle of the gazebo, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Of course, she said yes. They celebrated the moment by FaceTiming their closest friends and family and ended the night perfectly—with Mexican food and margaritas.