We’re getting married!

Brandon and I met by chance after we had both pretty much given up on dating for a while. Funnily and coincidentally enough, the only reason we ended up meeting was because he thought he had deactivated his dating app accounts but had forgotten the one that we just so happened to match on. We talked for at least an hour that first night, maybe more. We had a lot in common and we instantly connected over those things. I had always told myself when I was younger that I would never seriously date anyone from KI, because I always felt that our small hometown was too gossipy. When Brandon and I met, I fully planned on trying to find a way to move back to Towson (I had just moved back to Kent Island after being away for several years and I absolutely loved living in the city). But after a few months, I was completely in love with Brandon and suddenly didn't care about being anywhere that he wasn't. All that mattered to me was Brandon and his happiness, and he truly loves the shore. It turns out I was entirely wrong about what I used to tell myself. Not only does Brandon love me and care for me better than anyone else ever had before, I gained a whole big group of family and friends, all people from the same small town I never intended on staying near. I’ve never been more grateful and happier to admit just how wrong I was. After several months, we moved in together, and turned Brandon’s house into our home. Shortly after moving in together, we rescued a kitten. Brandon had already had a cat for 11 years (the most unfriendly cat you've ever met but we still love her and her attitude dearly). We also had a French Bulldog at home, but I desperately missed having a cat to love (that would love me back, and snuggle and purr and want to be around us, because that was definitely not our little Nelly cat). I was really sad about not having that because I had lost my very friendly and sweet 16 and 13 year old cats that meant the world to me a year prior to their health issues. When Brandon found out how much my heart was hurting over not having that anymore, he instantly made sure that I (we) got that cat. We named him Malcolm, and call him Mac, after one of our favorite artists, Mac Miller, whom we have bonded over so much throughout our relationship. He’s ornery as anything but both Brandon and I love that little guy so much. Unexpectedly Harley may love her even more, they are the absolute best of friends. We have also been so fortunate to be able to travel together to so many places and visit so many friends and family. I do think however, that our most recent trip to Vegas will be hard to top, as that is where we got engaged. It wouldn't be our story if I didn't mention my health and particularly all the scares we had in the last year. Being chronically ill is very hard, and dating someone new when you are sick so often can be hard and scary, but Brandon, since the very first time I ever got really sick just a few months into dating, takes the absolute best care of me with zero hesitation. When I was intubated and in a coma for 9 days directly after our Feb. 2023 Disney World trip, he would come to the ICU every single day to be there with me, hold my hand, talk to me and play our songs for me. Whenever I'm stuck in the hospital for my chronic pancreatitis, he drives there every single evening just to spend two hours with me after working all day. That is my Brandon. He is the kindest, sweetest, most compassionate and thoughtful person I have ever met and I still can’t believe I get to marry and continue building a life with this amazing man. I cannot picture spending the rest of my life and starting a family with anyone but him. I could not be luckier. It took me 33 years and quite a bit of heartbreak to find him, but I know he was always the person I was meant to be with. We may not have said our vows yet, but Brandon already fulfills every single one of them every day.