We first met in the summer of 2015 at the YMCA. She was already working there, and I was the new dude that she was assigned to show around and things. Unfortunately, when I first saw her, I was dating someone, but I definitely told myself I could’ve waited. She was cute and from the little conversation we had she seemed like cool people. Again, I was dating someone, so it was a no go at the time until she came back from school. Fast forward a year or so later and I was having major problems with the relationship I was in, and babe wanted to be in a relationship, but things weren’t necessarily going her way. We both decided to confide in one another for advice but what we didn’t know was that we’d be basically coaching each other on things we wanted in a relationship. Not long afterwards I ended it with the lady I was with, and we started dating. We seemed to click from the start, and everything was always cool between us, so we decided to go on a date to Applebee’s. At the time I was a personal trainer so I ordered two entree’s and she laughed at me for it but I was starving and ate it all. She was being too cute at the time and didn’t want to show me that she could get down on some food. The night went on and one of our friends from work walked in and we were both laughing nervously. He basically came in and interrogated us for a while and then went to sit with his friends. This was the first date of many before we’d get engaged.

It was the summer of 2015, I was working in the wellness center of our local YMCA, when my manager told me that someone new was starting during my evening/closing shift and that I would need to train them etc. In her email she listed his name, James Seahorn, I immediately searched the name on Instagram- no hit. Then I went to Facebook, and I found his profile. He had on a red shirt and some converse, but I couldn’t really make out what his face looked like. I anticipated him walking into the wellness center the rest of the day. When he finally arrived, we had basic conversation. It didn’t really go far, even after I asked him the basic personal stuff like where are you from, what school did you go to? I was surprised to find out that we actually went to the same schools from middle school through high school, but we had never seen one another. We even had mutual friends but never crossed paths. From that day on we worked together and began to build a friendship, it wasn’t until the following summer that our conversations started to become deeper, and the laid-back guy started to show me his real personality. It was attractive, I was attracted to his mindset, to his perspective on the topics we would discuss, and how he looked out for everyone including myself. As the summer came to a close, I went back to Beaumont for school and he and I only kept up on the weekends and we only communicated via email in regard to our work schedules. (How did we become cool??) One weekend, he spoke about having relationship troubles and how he would be ending his current relationship. This is when our friendship went to the next level, and he actually shared his phone number with me. Shortly after, I moved back home for winter break, we had our first date (At Applebee’s, I know I know how romantic) and the rest is history, since that initial date we have not spent more than 5 days away from each other in the last 6 years.

On my 26th birthday, March 13, 2020, 48 hours before the world would change, and we were catapulted into a global pandemic, time seemed to stop, tears began to start, and everything just felt RIGHT. We were at my mom’s house celebrating my birthday with my immediate family and my close friends. Libations were flowing, they sung me happy birthday- all three versions that I requested (if you know, you know) and I had just started opening gifts. James always goes all out for my birthday and this one was no different! I finished opening the last gift and he says that he has one last surprise. He drops to his knee, I look around, notice all the phones and it hits me that this is THE moment. He starts talking, I’m so surprised and taken aback that I’m not computing everything that was being said. I did however hear “Will you marry me?” I take a shot, look at him and say YES. I am not easily surprised, some may call my type A personality a tad controlling, and not much happens in my space that I am unaware of. But somehow, he surprised the un-surprisable, and I am so happy he did. There were tears of joy, I was happy to officially be his fiancé, and thrilled that he remembered how I envisioned this moment, and made it happen in front of my family and friends. He is my person, my home base, my north star, my best friend and most importantly my partner.

Right before everything started to get crazy with Covid, I got off work early one day and bought an engagement ring with the intention of proposing on babe’s birthday. Everyone who knows her knows that every birthday she has is the most and if it’s not it’s very close. She mentioned to me over and over that she wanted her family and friends there for the proposal and what better time than on her birthday. I asked her mom the day before and her brother and dad maybe a hour or so before I actually proposed. I’m never really nervous but as she was opening gifts, I became a little jittery. She finished opening everything and I told her that I had one gift left. When I got down on my knee, she proceeded to take a shot of whiskey and in my mind I was like “Oh no. This might not go as planned. Do I drive her to drink? Do I really work her nerves this bad? Is the liquor going to decide our future?” Nevertheless, I continued and asked her to marry me just as she wanted with her friends and family present, and it was honestly one of best feelings in the world hearing her say YES.