Tony and I first met at Mississippi State University in our MBA program at the end of May 2017. We were quick to become friends during our first semester that summer.

In the Fall, Tony started working as a graduate assistant in our admissions office for our MBA program, and, after some luck on my part, I also started working as a graduate assistant in the same office in January 2018. We were in class together, we worked in the same office, and hung out with friends together off campus. We spent a lot of time together, as friends. Then, one night, of all nights, February 14th, 2018, Tony and I went up to a local bar with a classmate/friend to hang out with said friend's girlfriend who was bartending. After all, neither of us had any other plans on Valentine's Day.

Our friend left the bar, and it was just us two there. Tony jokingly did the yawn stretch to put his arm around me at the bar, and we laughed it off. We practically closed the bar down on a Wednesday night. When we left and both got in our cars to drive home, I couldn't help but think I should've invited him over to my apartment. Luckily, he was thinking the same thing and called me a few minutes later. We both knew something was there, more than friends.

We continued to see each other, almost secretly, because we didn't want our classmates to start gossiping. We liked each other though, and it was hard to keep a secret when we were together almost all day every day. Tony even came to a frisbee tournament of mine in Starkville that my parents drove up to with my grandmother. Tony pretty much sat with my grandmother the whole time. I told my mom we were just friends and he wanted something to do on a random Saturday in March (not a good lie, clearly). She knew something was up.

That Spring, I accepted a job that would move me to Charlotte, NC, a few months after graduation. Tony had already accepted a job that would move him out to Dallas, TX. Tony and I still weren't sure what we were doing, but we enjoyed spending time together. Tony even spent a whole weekend with my parents at a baseball series in Left Field Lounge when I was out of town. He loved them, and they loved him too. About 2 weeks before we graduated, we knew our time was running out and we needed to figure out if we were going to part ways or do something crazy like start a relationship that would be long distance immediately and with no clue if or when we would be living in the same town again.

Ultimately, it wasn't a hard decision. And I'm so glad we chose "crazy".

We spent the next 9 months in a long-distance relationship. But I was going to do whatever I could to move to Dallas so we could be together again without a time difference and plane ticket.

As fate would have it, the weekend of Valentine's Day in 2019, I was flying to Dallas to not only spend the weekend with Tony, but to interview for a promotion with my company. I was offered the position a few weeks later, and I moved my entire life to Dallas the end of March.

We were together again. In the same place. Finally.

On August 24th, 2023, Tony proposed to me. Over 6 years since we met, 5 1/2 years in a relationship, 4 1/2 years in the same town living together, 2 apartments, a dog, a house, and some unfortunate life events along the way.

I wouldn't trade it for the world.