Abby and Will met the 21st century way -- on Bumble -- the day after Will's birthday. What an amazing birthday present! Their first date was at Ponysaurus Brewing in downtown Durham. Will arrived first. Abby was late, as usual. Will flashed a smile when Abby walked into the bar, followed by an awkward handshake/hug move. This was their first time meeting in person, so they were both a bit nervous. After a couple of beers, the butterflies faded. Will knew that Abby was the one. And Abby knew that Will was the one. But it would be a while before either of them worked up the courage to tell the other. Those butterflies were still hanging around, but with a little liquid courage (in the form of margaritas), Will and Abby both said, "I love you."

A little over a year after Will & Abby started dating, they planned a trip to Colorado for Abby's spring break. One month before the trip, coronavirus canceled all plans. Abby, eager for Will to pop the question, cryptically told him not to let coronavirus change any plans he had. Knowing the proposal couldn't happen as planned, Will started thinking of other ways to make the proposal special. He planned a short road trip. To anyone else driving by, Will and Abby's destination would just be an empty field with an old oak tree. This wasn't any old oak tree; it stands in the field where Abby's grandmother's house once stood. Will popped the question and gave Abby another beautiful memory under that tree.