In April of 2019, along with my friend Trinity, we went to Miami for a 5 day trip. A friend recommended a small car rental place near the airport. It was still early enough in Covid that we were still wearing masks. I walked into the rental car place and Samuel was behind the counter. I asked about my rental, but he said it wasn't in the system and he had to call his boss. He pulled down his mask to take a drink of water, and I was immediately smitten. His boss let him complete the rental. As we stepped outside to finish taking photos of the car, Samuel asked how long I would be in town and offered me his number in case I "needed any recommendations." We went out for coffee the next day and dinner the day after. We hung out all five days and continued to stay in touch. A month later he asked me to officially be his girlfriend. After a year and a half of long distance, he moved to Chicago this spring and the rest is history.

I lost my job in early June 2023. Samuel said that when I got a new job, he would take me out to dinner to celebrate - buying me outfit and all but the location would be a surprise. I got my hair cut and my nails done. He went to the barber. I had my suspicions, but it was still more beautiful than I could have imagined. He took me to dinner at the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the Hancock. Being from Chicago, this is a city girl's dream. After dinner, he had a waiter surprise me with a crème brûlée that said "Will you marry me?" and of course the answer is "Yes!" We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you in Chicago!