After taking a deep breath, I made my way to the front of the restaurant and then received a call from her telling me she was 5 minutes away (she was already there). Cleo walked up, beautiful as ever. We both had big smiles on our faces as I opened my arms for a hug and she raised her hand for a shake. We settled on a hug and walked inside.

In person, we picked up our conversation just where we had left off, exchanging life stories as we filled our bellies with pho and crab rangoons. She was stunning, smart, thoughtful, and curious. She was magnetic. I felt as if I had known her for years already. Although I was stuffed to the brim, we both wanted to prolong the date and got bubble tea.

The night eventually settled in, and I had to make the trek back to Bellingham. Before I left, I looked her in the eyes, and we shared our first kiss. On the drive back home, I was grinning cheek to cheek, knowing that I had met someone truly special.

From that day forth, we have become inseparable, constantly sharing our love for life, family, friends, food, silliness, and adventure.

In late 2022, I began formulating plans to propose, enlisting the help of her siblings to help me choose the ring and keep my secret safe. Around a year later, on a warm, sunny evening on a hilltop in Nice, France, I asked Cleo to marry me.