How we met
We were set up by a mutual friend — the kind of setup that feels casual at first… until it isn’t.
On a Tuesday, Pat texted me asking me out for that Friday. I didn’t respond until Thursday. (Yes, really.) He was apparently seconds away from sending a very polite “totally fine if you’re not interested” follow-up when my reply came through instead. Timing, it seems, actually is everything.
Our first date lasted nearly six hours — which, as most people know, never happens. Most first dates are awkward and short. Ours was effortless and unforgettable. We went for sushi, followed by tequila, and talked about everything.
At one point I remember saying, “This is kismet.”
There was an ease between us that felt rare. I usually don’t trust just anyone to take me to a second location on a first date — but I trusted him completely. Somewhere between the laughter and the lingering conversation, we both knew: this was different.
We left that night knowing this was the real deal.
The Proposal
When Pat’s entire family was in town, I planned what I thought was a simple family portrait session in our neighborhood — photos to gift everyone for Christmas.
The day of, he told me he “didn’t quite understand the vision” for where we’d be taking the photos and asked if I could show him the spot. I led him to the weeping willows nearby and said, “I was thinking somewhere around here…”
When I turned back around, he was looking at me in a way that told me something was happening.
He got down on one knee and told me he knew this had been a long time coming. Then he asked if I would be his wife.
Happy tears immediately.
He stood up, slipped the ring onto my finger, and said, “So… do you have an answer yet?”
Of course, I said yes.
What makes it even more special is the ring itself. I had always wanted something unique — not what you see every day. Pat had it custom-made just for me. And months before proposing, he secretly sent me a photo of it under the guise that it belonged to “a teammate from pickleball” asking, “This is close to what you like, right?”
He absolutely got me.
And somehow, he still managed to surprise me.
