After what we can only imagine to be dozens of missed connections growing up in the same neck of the woods, attending the same university, and spending nights out in the same college town, Ashli finally found Valerie in 2017 on Tinder, of all places. The app flashed "It's a Match!" Ashli messaged "Hey." Valerie never responded (it takes more than that to get Valerie's attention). Months later, Ashli noticed that same girl on a different dating website. Not one to back down from a challenge, and having learned a valuable lesson about brevity, Ashli's first message opener this time was "You have really nice eyebrows." Obviously, Valerie was hooked. The ladies met up at Mexican Fiesta II on a work night for their first date, and nervously nibbled on cheap Tex-Mex, seated next to what they've come to guess was a weird family reunion. They drove across town for after dinner coffee and a walk in the park, so the night could last longer. They don't kiss on first dates. But sometimes they will break their first date rules for the right person.

Like many casually dating couples, Valerie and Ashli didn't expect to fall in love. They didn't plan on being together for a significant amount of time at all. They didn't plan on spending all night on the phone together, or sending sweet love songs back and forth to only each other, or spending so much time thinking and dreaming about each other...but plans and expectations often fall through. They loved each other before they each realized it on their own, and realized it before being brave enough to say it out loud. But on a February night in 2018, ahead of a month of being separated by vacations and work obligations, they realized there was no way they could spend all that time apart without speaking up for their love. So at 10pm on a Monday, they met up in a 7-Eleven gas station parking lot, to share Slurpees and steal kisses, for one last time for a long time. Before long, Ashli said, "I have to tell you something." Valerie asked, "Do you love me?" They both agreed that they did. And even though they still didn't expect forever to come for them, they agreed to love each other as much as possible for as long as possible. From the Mexican Fiesta II to the 7-Eleven gas station parking lot, they realized this kind of thing was officially "on brand" for them.

In 2020, Valerie turned 30. Ashli was busy nearly every weekend of Valerie's birthday month. Valerie takes her birthday month seriously, and this made her grumpy. On February 29th, the last day of birthday month, when Ashli had allegedly scheduled herself for a "hair appointment," she surprised Valerie with a bag of supplies and page of instructions for a SCAVENGER HUNT. Even though Ashli had said in the past that she would not & could not ever put something like this together, Valerie has a flair for adventure and mystery, so Ashli knew this would be the perfect guise for a proposal. Ashli sent Valerie all over town, to different places of significance from their relationship. She had a friend stationed at each location, with gifts and clues dressed as love poems revealing the next destination. From the Mexican Fiesta II, to their favorite getaway spots, to the 7-Eleven gas station parking lot, and all the little date spots where their love bloomed, Ashli made sure to show Valerie how loved she was. The hunt ended with a big surprise 30th birthday party, which turned into an engagement party before the end of the night! In front of friends and family, Ashli professed her love. She then told the group about an old Irish tradition that it is customary for women to propose on and only on Leap Days. So even though she doesn't do scavenger hunts, even though she doesn't like speeches, even though it was her BAD KNEE, she got down on that knee and proposed. Of course Valerie said yes.