The era of covid brought a lot of isolation until I started working at Publix. Will and I quickly became best friends finding a way to always be together at work: getting carts, working on the same register, closing the store, etc. It wasn't long until Will started inviting me to things outside of work like mini golfing, walking on the beach, and going to the springs. As soon as I would get off work, I would buy an outfit and some perfume to pull myself together, never saying no to the invites. We loved our time together and there was an instant connection. We didn't know where this would lead because I only had a month until I left for college in a different state and we had only officially been dating a week before I left for school. Knowing this, we spent every second together until it was time to say "see you later". We were hopeful, but heartbroken. The distance lasted about a week before Will came up to visit for the very first time. When we were apart we spent hours on FaceTime trying to stay connected in each others lives. After the first time he visited, we spent two months apart before Will took a leap of faith and decided to move in with a girl he met only three months earlier. The rest is history and we have only fallen in love more and more these several years, always growing together and never apart.

On the anniversary of when we started dating, we went on a nice dinner date two hours away and gifted each other meaningful presents. I made Will a scrapbook of our adventures from the last year and Will gifted me a pink purse that I had mentioned...more than a couple times. Will was surprised I found the time to make a scrapbook without him knowing and I was surprised he remembered the purse and was able to hide it in his motorcycle bag for weeks. After dinner and what was a truly magical night, we walked outside and stargazed. Will made this long speech about our love and time together before pulling out a customized family heirloom engagement ring that symbolized both sides of our family. I fell in love immediately and was so shocked I forgot to say yes. Instead, it went more like "well put it on my finger already," and with that our lifelong commitment to each other. We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you.