For those who don't know, Allen and I have known each other since I was 16. He played basketball. I cheered for the team. And we both stayed local going to Florida Gulf Coast University. When I lived on campus, Allen would come and pick me up from the dorms so I wouldn't have to walk in the heat or the rain or just because I didn't want to. I had already taken the calculus class Allen was about to start and he asked me to tutor him. I think it was a ruse because he is WAY better at math than me now. Maybe I'm just a great teacher. In 2018, we officially started dating. When a job opportunity became available in Boston, we both knew this was the right next step. Since Allen was still finishing his software engineering degree, he needed to stay in Florida. Thanks to a lot of hard work and prayer, Allen joined me in Boston for the summer in 2019. I went to Fort Myers in March 2020 expecting to stay a week and ended up working remotely for 2 months. And we celebrated Allen's graduation together in May under strict COVID guidelines. We moved in to our first apartment together a month later in Revere, MA with a rooftop view of the same ocean we grew up with.

It's hard to believe we've been living in Massachusetts for 4 years now. It's been such a fun ride so far. We have found our Boston people and made memories and met milestones together. We've welcomed friends and family into our home to share in our city. We've traveled across the country and created a life we truly love. Together.

At our annual summer Marco Island vacation in 2022, Allen led me out to the beach to "update our fancy pictures with friends". He led me to a beautiful set up of rose petals and candles and asked me to be his wife. It was the easiest "of course I will" I've ever said.