Get. Excited.

Tiffany's Bumble dating profile said "Busy young professional who manages her cat's Instagram account and runs a lot, seeks normal guy who does not smoke or do drugs." Ben's Bumble dating profile said absolutely nothing. Ben claims he had been swiping right on Tiffany for weeks, hoping she would one day swipe right on him too. One day in July of 2017, she did. The conversation started out with the kind of quick witted banter the two of them had always longed for. A few days of messaging led to a few days of texting and Ben asked Tiffany out on their first date. They decided they would have a casual dinner at The Executive Surf Club in downtown Corpus Christi before heading to a Hooks baseball game. Nervous, Tiffany arrived early to dinner. Also nervous, Ben arrived late. Tiffany's heart stopped the moment Ben walked in...because for nearly 20 minutes, she thought she had been stood up. The conversation during the meal was pretty standard for a first date except for the part where Ben explained that he was leaving on a boat to Baltimore in 3 days and he would be gone for nearly 2 months. Ben suggested they have a drink at the Grand View Lounge that overlooks the marina, after the baseball game. And before the night was over, he had already asked Tiffany out for a second date. Ridiculously smitten and surprised by how quickly she had begun to fall for someone, Tiffany overlooked the fact that Ben was leaving town in a couple of days and she agreed to see him again. It was a good thing that the evening had been so amazing for the two of them because it turned out this was the very last first date they would ever have.

Tiffany and Ben planned to join some friends at a Hooks baseball game. But things began to get suspicious when one of those friends, Lauren, urged Tiffany to purchase aisle seats. Things became even more suspicious when after one of Tiffany's nails broke the day before the game, Lauren urged her to get her nails fixed THAT NIGHT. Remembering that her only request to Ben regarding a proposal was that her nails look good and considering that their first date was at a Hooks baseball game, Tiffany determined that Ben was going to propose the next night at the game! She was right. But the ring had not arrived and Ben wasn't able to propose. She was devastated. Anxious and bitter that Ben still hadn't proposed a couple of weeks after the now infamous proposal debacle, Tiffany agreed to have dinner with Ben and the Junior Officer who was replacing him on board Ben's ship soon. Ben arrived late to pick her up for that dinner (it turned out arriving late was not just a first date thing). And on the way to dinner, Ben got a call from his boss who let Ben know that he may have to work that weekend - the same weekend he and Tiffany were supposed to go to Oklahoma to see George Strait. So it was no surprise that Tiffany grew more annoyed with Ben when he passed the street that the restaurant was on. In her defense, she was also starving. Ben stopped his truck in front of the mural on The Corpus Christi Caller Times building and suggested they check it out up close since they had only admired it from afar. They both love art, especially street art, and this iconic mural paid homage to Corpus. It was right after Ben asked Tiffany if she wanted to look at street art forever with him that she realized what was happening. She burst into tears as Ben got down on one knee and before he asked THE question, he casually mentioned that he had brought a few people with him. Standing behind Tiffany was her family. She had no idea. She was overwhelmed with happiness and love. She said yes.