We met at school in the 6th grade. Our moms worked together and their friendship built our friendship. This school aged friendship quickly became a crush but each of us were too shy to make a move. After graduation in 2015, Billy joined the military and I focused on school. I wrote letters to Billy but still, neither of us made a move. Fast forward to 2020 when I got my first job teaching. Billy sent me a very subtle "happy teacher appreciation" text and told me he wanted to take me out. Finally! We met up for dinner at OMI, shared some fajitas and talked for hours. Aside from a year long deployment.. we have spent every second together since!

After coming home from deployment, Billy and I spent the summer 'vacationing'. We went to Europe for 2 weeks and on a cruise for 1 week. One night on our cruise, we were taking pictures infront of all of the cruise backdrops. Billy had my whole family and his whole family in on it. During one of the pictures, my sister turned me to fix my hair. When I turned back around to take more pictures, Billy was on one knee holding the ring my dad gave my mom 35 years ago. It couldn't have been more perfect.