January 4th, 2021 I was sitting in a beach house at Bald Head on my winter break with nothing to do. I decided I’d look at boys on Hinge…because what else would I do in my free time. Lucky for me, I had a “like” from a handsome 6-foot-5, dark, curly-haired athlete whom I decided to “like” in return. We started chatting on the app, and by the end of the night, he had already asked for my number.

For the next several days, he didn’t let much time go by without texting me. He celebrated his birthday that week and, within a few days, asked me out on a first date. We met in Garner, at a restaurant we both have agreed to never go back to, and boy, were we both nervous. With very little eye contact and some awkward conversations, I still knew I liked this guy. He remembered me telling him about my love for ice cream, and after dinner, asked to take me to Coldstone. While hugging goodbye, I nervously said, “thanks for dinner and a movie”. We in fact did not see a movie because theaters were closed for COVID, but I was so nervous he was going to try and kiss me that I couldn’t think straight.

On my way home, I called my best friends, and they could tell how excited I was about this guy. A few days later, I went back to school in Greenville, and Dawson came to visit me. We went to brunch and church. This time, Dawson was the nervous wreck, making me question if this would go any further. We kept going on dates, and by the fifth date he finally kissed me!

Skip to March, and Dawson said, “when can I ask you to be my girlfriend?” and I jokingly said, “After you check with my dad”. By the time he left my house, I had my first boyfriend! Later that summer, on my family beach trip in May, he told me he loved me, and I, however did not say it back until later that summer…sorry, Dawson.

These years in between, we’ve spent time getting to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, cried tears of joy and sadness, and grown our love to where we are today.

Fast forward to July 2025, when Dawson (somehow) surprised me with an engagement with the help of the best friends and family. It was everything I had always dreamed of, and I can only imagine what God has in store for Dawson and me. We are surrounded by wonderful family and friends and can’t wait to celebrate our love with all of you!

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