Our Story by Randy McNeill

Chapter 1: One Right Swipe

As many relationships start in this modern day, our story began with a right swipe. After about a week of texting back and forth, we decided to go on our first date. I picked her up from her house in Fuquay and we went to Aviator Brewing for dinner and drinks. My first impression of Erika was that she was very beautiful and even more so in person. I also noticed how nice and easy going she was. She was very family oriented and that was a big positive for me since I am so close to my family. I remember telling multiple people after the date that Erika “checked all of the boxes” on what I was looking for in a future wife. One “negative” thing about Erika was that she was a Duke fan. The first UNC football game after our first date, I went to the UNC football game against Florida A&M with my friends Chris and Paul. Erika knew I was going to the game, so she watched the UNC game on her phone even though the restaurant she was at did not have it on TV. It may not seem like a big deal to most people but it meant a lot to me.

Chapter 2: Carolina Football Games

After the first date, we texted each other daily and would meet up each week for trivia night in Fuquay. During weekends, we would watch UNC Football games even though, as mentioned before, Erika was a Duke fan. After about a month, I decided to take Erika to her first Carolina football game. Erika was kind enough to wear Carolina Blue and we had a great time together that day. That first fall, we went to 6 Carolina football games together in Chapel Hill, Winson-Salem and the ACC Championship game in Charlotte.

When UNC played at Duke, I had a wedding to attend so I was not able to go to the game. Erika went to the game with her friend and met up with my friend Paul (who she had met) and another one of my friends Chris (who she had not yet met and is now going to be the officiant at our wedding). She played cornhole with them and made a good impression with both of them even though she was pulling for Duke that day. After the wedding, I met Erika at her house. She had left the game early and Duke had taken the lead late in the game. When I got to her house, she was messing with me and said “Did you see the score?” and I responded very sternly “Yes.” She realized that I was in a bad mood and was quiet for a few minutes. Then, UNC eventually scored and won the game. I immediately cheered up and Erika knew from then on, she would have to pull for UNC so that I would be happy. She even said “I would rather UNC win so I can see you happy.” That’s another reason why I have fallen for her not because she pulls for UNC now but because she cares so much about me and my interests.

Chapter 3: Meeting the Parents

After a couple of months of dating. I decided to introduce Erika to my family. She met my sister, brother in law and nephew on the day before Christmas and then met my Mom, Dad, and Grandma on the day after Christmas. For everyone that knows me, they know that my grandma is special in my life so any future wife has to impress her more than anyone. Erika impressed my grandma and family immediately as I knew she would. As my grandma was washing dishes from the meal, Erika asked if she needed any help. This impressed my grandma more than anything! Grandma said at the end of the night, “I like her!”

After this, I met her Dad’s side of the family and her Mom’s side of the family and Erika met the rest of my extended family. How Erika met my extended family is actually a pretty funny story. Two years ago, Erika, my cousin Andrew and I traveled to Boone to watch my cousin Bradley play baseball for Appalachian State. We traveled down to Boone on a Friday afternoon to watch the game that Bradley was pitching. However, once we got there, it started snowing and the game got postponed until the next morning. Since we had already traveled over 3 hours away, we decided to stay the night for the next day. My Aunt Sherri offered to let us stay at the cabin that they had rented with my Uncle Tim, Aunt Mary Beth, Uncle Todd and other cousins. We went to Wal-Mart and got pajamas for us to sleep in and toothbrushes and we bunked up in the cabin with them. The next day we watched Bradley pitch in 38 degree weather and the freezing rain. I can say for both me and her, we both fit in very well with each other’s families and it feels like we have been a part of each other’s family for years and years.

Chapter 4: Softball Weekends

One of my favorite things to do is to play slow pitch softball. I started playing weekend ball right around the same time that I met Erika. The first tournament that Erika came to watch me play was at Peter’s Creek in February and it was below 40 degrees all day and on and off sprinkling rain. I did not think that Erika would ever come back to another tournament. But I was wrong. She has been to almost every single one of my tournaments that I have played in the past couple of years which includes trips to Goldsboro, Burlington, Walnut Creek, Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, Laurinburg, Chapel Hill, Virginia, and all the way down to Florida.

Chapter 5: The Engagement

In the spring of 2024, I decided to start planning on how I would propose to Erika. The first step that I needed to take was to buy a ring. Her granddaddy had offered her the ring of her grandmother and Erika originally said no. However, one day I had a random thought that maybe I could combine her grandmother’s ring with my grandmother’s ring. So I decided to ask her Mom if it was possible to get the ring. I texted her and deleted the messages before Erika could see them. We were going to be staying with her Mom and Step-Dad Tony at their beach place for July 4th. So when Erika was outside playing with her niece and nephew, Tony slipped me the ring and I hid it in my suitcase. Once I had that ring, I asked if I could have my grandmother’s ring and she said yes. Her Granddaddy and Grammy were married for just over 56 years before she passed and my Papa and Grandma were married for 55 years and 10 months before he passed. When I took the rings into the Jeweler, the main stone of each was exactly the same size. So I built the ring (based on Erika's pinterest too) with a main stone, then the two grandmother’s stones beside it.

I ordered the ring and was not sure when it was going to get it. UNC had 3 straight home games in September, and I decided whenever the ring was in then I would propose that weekend. Well Erika had planned a birthday weekend for me on September 14th with a few of my friends to meet us in Chapel Hill for a football game. On that Friday, the jeweler called me and said the ring was ready. I went to Raleigh to get the ring. The next morning, we rode to Chapel Hill and went to take a picture in front of one of our favorite spots. I then made the best decision of my life and I asked Erika to be my wife. She said yes!

As Erika and I stand on the threshold of our wedding day, I can't help but reflect on the beautiful journey that has led us to this moment. Our love story, filled with laughter, softball tournaments, trips to Chapel Hill, Philadelphia, Chicago, puzzles at home and unwavering support for one another, is far from over. In fact, it's about to enter its most exciting chapter yet..