Mikayla and I met in high school in 2015 and said maybe five words to each other in four years despite having many mutual friends.

We reconnected shortly after graduation and became fast friends; learning we had much in common. We kept in touch as she lived in several different cities, our friendship growing strong and consistent. We shared everything with one another and grew close, both feeling glad to have a friend to confide in and trust.

Fast forward to 2023 and Mikayla decided to come back to Spokane for some reason unbeknownst to her (she has described the city as a vortex constantly pulling her in). Luckily for me it allowed us to develop our friendship without the impedance of long distance.

She knew well before me that we were fated to be lovers; how oblivious I was! I was simply convinced she was the first true friend that I had ever had. How else could I describe the desire for honesty and closeness I was experiencing? I did not know my true feelings for her until she said the three magical words first. The moment they left her lips, it was as if scales had fallen from my eyes! "Friend"?! This was the love of my life!

With our love for one another confessed, our relationship began and we spent much time together, alone. Still to this day we find ourselves cancelling plans (or not making any at all) because we would much rather spend the time on our own. We travelled and hiked and spent time on the lake all year long and for her birthday I bought her tickets to see her favorite band play in August just outside of Missoula, Montana.

August came and I took some time off work to drive us to the venue, located in a beautiful gorge on a river. We enjoyed the music late into the night and then drove north to visit Glacier National Park the next day.

We got to experience all sorts of weather that day from blistering summer heat with the sun beating down on us to a wicked thunder storm that split the sky and poured rain as we were leaving. I had been telling her all day that I wanted to see mountain goats. As I took her on the trail I planned to propose on, the clouds had already been thundering and dropping rain. We turned the corner that would reveal to us the Hidden Lake which was the end goal of this hike and two things happened. The clouds parted and rays of sunlight beamed down on us uninterrupted for north of fifteen minutes. Secondly, a pair of snow white mountain goats were laying on the side of the hill resting together. I took those as heavenly signs that the moment had come and I got down on one knee.

The rest is history!