We met at a bar in Ocean Springs, Mississippi on October 14th, 2021. Michaela was there, relaxing with a friend while I was celebrating a few of my co-workers receiving new military assignments. After having made eye contact a few times from across the room, Michaela tapped me on my shoulder as I walked back from getting a drink. When I turned around, she simply said, "Hey you, I think you're pretty cute" and went back to her seat. Having been charmed by her southern accent, beautiful looks, and the confidence she had to come up to me, I knew I had to get to know her. On our first date a few days later, Michaela told me that she was unsure about starting a relationship with someone that was going to leave in 6 months. Undeterred, I asked for a chance to change her mind, and I was endearing enough for her to say yes. The following 6 months were filled with walks along the beach, ice skating, discovering our love of cooking together, and countless other nights that created lasting memories. When it was time to pack up and move for my reassignment, it was a bittersweet day. However, we both realized that we created something that was worth continuing no matter the distance. We visited each other as often as we could. The first time Michaela came to visit me in San Antonio, we strolled along the River Walk and ended up at the Kallison Love Lock Bridge. I pulled a lock and a sharpie out of my pocket; we each wrote our names on it, secured it to the bridge, and threw away the keys. By the end of 2023, both of us were tired of the teary-eyed goodbyes at the airport and each of us were confident that we had found our person. On March 21st, during another walk along the River Walk, we revisited the lock bridge. I playfully bet Michaela she couldn't find our lock. While she searched feverishly, I pulled out a ring. I knelt down on one knee, and asked Michaela if she would make me the happiest man in the world. We're so happy this is just the start of our journey, and even happier to have such wonderful people to celebrate it with.