Nathan and Kiara met in the fishbowl—the nurses’ station at work. At the time, Nathan was a care coordinator finishing his master’s in healthcare informatics, and Kiara was a few months away from starting a new chapter as a travel nurse in New Mexico. They connected quickly, often finding moments during hectic shifts to talk, vent, and keep each other grounded. One day, Nathan overheard Kiara talking with a colleague about her upcoming birthday. Curious, he asked when it was. “October 28th,” she said. He smiled—his mother’s birthday was the same day. Without skipping a beat, he told her he’d get her a gift, since she happened to share a birthday with the woman he cared about most. When Kiara opened the bracelet he gave her, she was genuinely surprised. They had only known each other a few weeks, and she hadn’t expected something so thoughtful. That night, she invited him out for fajitas at Don Julio’s. It was their first time spending time together outside of work—and all they remember is the laughter. Needless to say, New Mexico didn’t stand a chance. Kiara still wears the bracelet. Every day.

Two days before their long-awaited trip to Portugal, Nathan told Kiara he had something special planned: a fancy seafood dinner, just the two of them. Knowing seafood is her favorite, he said the restaurant was about an hour away—and asked her to wear something nice, something white. On the drive, Nathan casually mentioned he wanted to make a quick stop at the Ponce Inlet dog beach to scope it out as a potential spot for their boys, Milo and Gnocchi. Kiara had a feeling something was up, but she decided to play it cool and enjoy the moment. When they arrived, Nathan led her down the beach to a quiet spot tucked between the mangroves. There, surrounded by white flowers and a beach umbrella, was a sign that read: Marry Me. Kiara screamed. Then screamed again—“YES, of course I’ll marry you!” Just as the shock was sinking in, her best friend Hunter popped out from the mangroves—along with Kristin, their engagement photographer. That’s when the tears really came. Nathan had thought of everything. They spent the next 14 days exploring Portugal together—Porto, the Algarve, and Lisboa—still floating from the proposal and the start of something even bigger. It was the perfect beginning to the rest of their love story.