We met in nursing school as part of the same study group, where competition came before romance. Aubri thought Gerardo was smart, motivated, and handsome. Gerardo thought Aubri was beautiful, smart, and witty. What started as constant banter and rivalry slowly turned into an unexpected love story.

We began dating in late 2021, and on September 4th in Tempe, before heading to a baseball game, Gerardo officially asked Aubri to be his girlfriend. Somewhere between a hot dog and a beer, we fell in love. Not long after, we both realized this was something different — whether it was Gerardo driving across town after Aubri’s night shift just to help her get home safely, or a spontaneous paddle-boarding day on the Salt River that made forever feel easy for Gerardo.

Over the last four years, we’ve grown side by side. We celebrated passing our NCLEX in Rosarito, traveled from the Oregon Coast to Istanbul, explored Belize and Costa Rica, and built a life together — moving in together, growing in our nursing careers, and buying our first home. Through every adventure, challenge, and ordinary day in between, we’ve learned that wherever we are, we feel most at home when we’re together.

Gerardo proposed in Costa Rica, surrounded by flowers, champagne, and a beautiful surprise that led Aubri to him on one knee. Nervous, excited, and full of love, he asked — and she said yes (of course she said yes).

We can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter with the people who mean the most to us.