It was the summer of 2017 in sunny Southern California when the days were long and mini lizards zipped under the shade of the tall slender palm trees. Michael Rector (from Oklahoma) & Aparna Alavilli (from New Hampshire) met while they were engineering interns at the locally headquartered company, Niagara Bottling. They had an immediate bond and looked for any excuse to collaborate on their projects. During a team building event, the company took them to an arcade. Aparna and Michael pooled together their tickets and cashed them in for dozens of bouncy balls! Later, they found a rooftop balcony on the tallest building in town, and launched the bouncy balls into the summer air, watching them bounce and scatter. Since that evening, they have never missed a day talking to each other.

On the night of February 5, 2022, Michael & Aparna went on a winter treehouse trip in the north country woods of Maine. Bundled up head-to-toe in snow pants, hats, and mittens, they took a short trek through the woods behind the treehouse. Eventually they came to a clearing where the dense evergreens gave way to a vast starlit crystal clear sky. They were standing on a frozen pond, blanketed with fresh snow! Through their telescope, they saw the rocky craters of the moon, infinite clusters of twinkling stars, and streaks of light from the meteors that danced across the sky. When Aparna turned away from the telescope, she found to her surprise that the brightest star was actually in Michael’s coat pocket -- a brilliant diamond ring! With a full heart and a whirlwind of happy emotions, Aparna said yes to Michael’s proposal. Michael & Aparna cherished the special moment under the winter night sky. They could not wait for a lifetime of adventures together.