Michelle and Jacques first crossed paths at the Jimmy Floyd Family Center, where they had both worked for several years. Though they’d seen each other in passing, they didn’t officially meet until 2019 when Michelle accepted a new position as a rec aide—the same role Jacques held at the time. On her first day, her boss warned her that Jacques was known for being quiet and might not say much. That turned out not to be the case.

From the start, Jacques and Michelle struck up easy conversation. What began as small talk quickly turned into rounds of "Twenty Questions" and games of "I Spy" during slow shifts. They bonded over the shared chaos of college life and slowly built a genuine friendship through life updates and honest conversations.

In the fall of 2022, life took them in different directions. Michelle graduated and began a full-time job, while Jacques moved to Chesterfield, Missouri to attend chiropractic school at Logan University. They didn’t see or speak to each other for nearly a year.

Then, during the summer of 2023, Michelle decided on a whim to add Jacques as a friend on social media. She didn’t expect much—maybe just a friendly reconnection. Jacques added her back and sent her a message, and from there, the two began chatting again, casually catching up on life.

When Jacques returned to Tennessee that August for summer break, the two reunited—along with a mutual friend—for dinner and ice cream. The three of them talked and laughed like old times, and it felt as if nothing had changed. Shortly after, Jacques invited them to a Halloween party he was hosting on October 27th. Michelle, feeling a bit nervous, dragged her sister along with her (they dressed as Heat Miser and Snow Miser—If you know, you know), and although she mostly stuck with the people she knew, she and Jacques (who was dressed as Spiderman) exchanged glances throughout the night. It was obvious something special was beginning.

In the days that followed, they both admitted their feelings. Even with Jacques heading back to Missouri, they stayed in touch, talking every day. Texts turned into phone calls, and calls turned into late-night FaceTimes.

When Thanksgiving break arrived, Jacques and Michelle planned their first official date. It wasn’t the traditional dinner-and-a-movie kind of night—instead, they took a road trip to Buc-ee’s. After spending about 30 minutes browsing snacks and buying matching Christmas pajamas, they made the hour-long drive back to Jacques’ house to watch movies. She left that night and he flew out bright and early the next morning, and they wouldn’t see each other again until Christmas break.

On December 15, Jacques came home for the holidays and asked Michelle to be his girlfriend. From that moment on, they were inseparable.

Over the next year and a half, they navigated long-distance with love and commitment. Michelle visited Missouri, Jacques came home to Tennessee, and whenever possible, they met halfway in Indiana.

On May 3rd, 2025—Michelle’s 26th birthday—Jacques surprised her with a scavenger hunt across town, leading her to all the places that held special meaning in their story together. Each stop carried a memory, a piece of their journey, until she finally arrived at the place where it all began—the Jimmy Floyd Family Center. There, waiting for her, Jacques got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.

From coworkers to best friends to partners through it all, they are now ready to begin the next chapter of their story—side by side, forever. ♡