It all began in July of 2023, when Allie and Nguyen both moved to Iowa to attend Des Moines University.

They became acquainted at pre-semester socials, and shared values and social outlooks grew their friendship throughout the school year.

Nguyen, running late for a class or lab session, would often leave his motorcycle gear and backpack with Allie as she studied in a lounge near the parking garage entrance.

Communications opened up when Nguyen needed to coordinate repayment in the form of iced coffee.

While sources remain divided on the matter, Nguyen claims Allie had a crush on him from the very first coffee drop.

As medical school classes came into full effect, it was not until an end-of-the-year ballgame outing that a connection was again sparked. Luke, one of Nguyen's and now Allie's best friends, took notice and invited Allie to the Cody Johnson concert they were attending after finals.

Come concert time, Allie and Nguyen ended up one seat apart in the row. During the pre-concert restroom break, Nguyen asked Joe, another one of his and now Allie's best friends, to switch spots with him so he could sit next to her.

They chatted and joked throughout the night until, with sweating hands and questionably sourced confidence, Nguyen asked Allie to dance.

In the days following the concert, Allie reached out to Nguyen to figure out payment for the ticket. After a bit of banter, they landed fittingly on a cup of coffee.

Nguyen, with his freshly pressed pearl snap and jeans, met Allie, in her sweat shorts and brother's t-shirt, at Friedrich's Coffee. When they realized the shop was closed for Memorial Day, they settled on Nespresso coffee at Nguyen's down the road.

Their first date was filled with caffeine-fueled discussions of everything from politics to life goals, and was only abrupted by Nguyen leaving town that day for a cross-country road trip with Luke.

Due to the road trip and a subsequent medical conference, they would not see each other in-person for three weeks until Allie picked Nguyen up from the Osceola train station. That time was filled with late night FaceTime calls, often lasting through daybreak.

Once reunited, their summer together was a whirlwind. A week of Nguyen moving Allie followed the medical conference, with then a prompt visit to Allie's hometown of Overland Park, KS. Directly thereafter, they made their way up to Nguyen's hometown of South Maplewood, MN, then to the Scotts, Nguyen's second family, in Siren, WI.

Shortly after returning to Des Moines, they again made their way down to Kansas for an operation Allie was having. Just a few weeks later, school started back up.

Facing many monumental life changes together, Allie and Nguyen fostered their relationship with the utmost intentionality and centered around Christ.

Throughout the school year they grew together, supporting one another and learning from each other. Though most days were spent simply studying in the same vicinity, Allie and Nguyen never grew tired of each other. It was enough to just be together.

As the end of the Allie's program neared and the prospects of Nguyen's clinical rotation placement loomed, the question was posed of whether each of them wanted to wait two and a half more years to be married.

What began as bashful conversation turned into wishful thinking and eventually ended up as the reason you're reading this story today... and the best is yet to come.