After numerous horrible first dates, lackluster conversations, and way too many swipes left, we just about gave up on dating as a whole. Luckily, right before we threw in the towel Taylor matched with Victoria on Hinge (Probably because he thought Junior was cute) and made the wise choice to open the conversation about dogs. By the end of the night numbers were exchanged and a date for a week later was set. After both of us almost cancelling on each other, and Taylor worrying he was going to be ghosted, we ended up having a long dinner at Wences with lots of conversation and laughs. Naturally, Victoria being who she is, decided to end the night with a friendly elbow bump goodbye (How are you supposed to say goodbye in Covid Era anyways?). Victoria worried the elbow bump may have come off too friendly and immediately texted Taylor as soon as she got home and the rest is history.

Taylor's POV: Knowing Victoria, she loves hiking and Briones! To attest to her love, she has a map of Briones framed in our house. Anyways, I not so secretly proposed to her on one of her favorite hiking trails in Briones. I recruited Victoria's Best Friend, Kathy, her Fiance, Ricky, and of course my twin sister, Brooke, to put this surprise proposal together! She unknowngly fell into my proposal plan when she accepted to go on a hike with my twin on a sunny Christmas Eve morning. As they started their hike, I grabbed the ring and little Tonks, (Junior and Fawkes were hiking already of course) and met Kathy and Ricky outside our condo to drive to the hiking trail. Once there, we as a group, hustled to the end of the trail overlooking a beautiful view of Mt. Diablo and I planted ahead on the trail a box with Victoria's name on it with a note inside of it. Then we waited for Victoria and my twin to come to our location as we laid on the hillside in disguise. Finally! They came...and my plan failed! Victoria doesn't see my box with the note in it and walks right past it! But wait....Brooke saves the day and points out to Victoria, "What's that!". Victoria picks up the box and starts yelling my name. I finally come out of hiding, and come to find Victoria laughing and smiling at me! Victoria's POV: On Christmas Eve Taylor's twin Brooke asked me to go on a hike with her AND her Mom. (Taylor knew if she said his Mom was going I'd wear make up and not back out last minute - well played). I showed up to the hiking trail to find Brooke, Buddy, and no Laurie. Brooke vaguely says something came up and we start our hike. In the beginning I mention doing a different loop than our usual to keep it short for Buddy but Brooke INSISTS we have to do the regular loop to test his endurance. Kind of strange but okay I'm down. As we hike I notice Brooke is checking her phone A LOT, like more than normal. I think it's a little odd but maybe a friend has something going on. Halfway through she suggests we stop for a while for pictures. I keep feeling like she has something going on she's not telling me but I don't want to pry into her personal life and just enjoy the hike and taking pictures of our dogs. We just finish passing another hiker with dogs which always gets my full attention when Brooke says, "What's that?!" and points to something on the ground. I say, "I don't know, trash maybe." and go to walk past it. "Your name is on it, pick it up!" She says. I go and look at the box and see my name on the front. I open it to find a tiny Briones map engraved on a metal card. I flip it over to read "The Perfect Proposal" and today's date on the other side. I look up to Brooke to ask her where Taylor is to see her full force sobbing. I yell Taylor's name and ask her where he is, and she tells me to keep walking. A few yards forward the trail dips over a hill to expose Taylor standing in front of my favorite hiking view of Mt. Diablo. I walk down to Taylor with the dogs circling around me and then us as I approach him. He starts talking about how it was all a trick to get me here when I notice an old woman in a hoodie trying to pass us on the trail. I'm trying to listen to Taylor but my socially awkward side is like "Oh No this must be embarrassing for her, we need to move." The lady is acting weird, she's circling around us at a distant, is she taking pictures??? Wait is this Taylor's Mom? Or Sister-In-Law? I notice a guy hiding behind the hill too - is that his Brother? Just as I'm getting super obsessed with the mystery of who is staring at us Taylor mentions how Kathy helped him trick me and came to take pictures like I would have wanted. It was Kathy, wearing a black hoodie with the drawstring pulled so tight only an eye and a nose were poking through. Behind her in all black is her Fiance, Ricky holding my Puppy, Tonks. I start hysterically laughing, which of course makes Taylor start laughing, as he finishes his speech.