a day to remember

On an August evening in the Smoky Mountains, Jared and I found ourselves headed to Anakeesta in Gatlinburg for what I thought was just a fun date night. Jared had planned the evening himself — which already had me a little suspicious — and even picked out his nice shirt ahead of time. I couldn’t help but wonder… Was this it? Our plan was to have dinner at the restaurant up there, but when we arrived, it was unexpectedly closed. My gut feeling started to fade — surely he wouldn’t propose after taco truck food, right? But Jared didn’t seem fazed at all. We grabbed tacos, made the best of it, and wandered around the mountaintop village. As the night wore on with no sign of a ring, I started to think I had read too much into things. Then, just before we were about to leave, Jared suggested we head to the overlook for one last view. We took a selfie together, and as I looked down at the photo on my phone, I noticed Jared moving — and when I glanced back up, he was on one knee. In true Jared fashion, nerves got the best of him. He was silent — just staring up at me, holding the ring box open, forgetting to actually say the words. So I looked at him and said through happy tears, “Well, say it!” And finally, he asked me to marry him. I obviously said yes, already crying from the moment. But then I saw the ring — and I was completely floored. The one I had picked out was beautiful, but the ring in that box was even more stunning than I imagined. I couldn’t believe it. Afterward, we FaceTimed our moms, our sisters, and our grandparents — still glowing, still processing. It wasn’t the fancy dinner or perfect setup we might’ve imagined — it was better. It was real, it was us, and it was absolutely unforgettable.