We first started talking online and almost dated, but the timing wasn't right. Tori knew she'd move to Texas and Zack thought he might go to school in Ohio so we decided against it. Fast forward a few years and we both end up at Missouri State University. For a year and a half Zack sits directly in front of Tori in mass every week (on purpose), but we don't say a word to each other. Then near the end of 2019, he sends a message on Facebook and Tori turned him down saying, "We can be friends." After a lot of talking and getting to know each other again, Zack was looking a lot more appealing to Tori and we started dating officially January 11, 2020. Zack says he knew pretty early on he found "the one" and he wasn't going to let her get away again. Tori was hopeful, but less sure early on (she eventually came around).

As mentioned already, Zack knew pretty quickly that he found "the one" so proposing was just a matter of time. There were some things that made that and our relationship difficult (world-wide pandemic for one). We both went through some job changes and things just didn't feel all that stable a lot of the time. Things finally started settling around the start of 2023, but Zack certainly likes to take his time. In the spring, Tori was extra stressed dealing with COVID and back issues along with some job difficulty. So, again, Zack patiently waited for Tori. She made it through the school year and frantically got all the grades in the gradebook by the deadline of midnight May 30th! So the next day, already on a high from being all done with a stressful year, we grabbed lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant then Zack took us to a beautiful gazebo at a nearby park. He said, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" Tori's first response was, "Are you serious?" But then she said, "yes!"