It all started in North Kingstown, Rhode Island where we went to high school together. I was a year older and knew of "the twins" but did not know who was who. We had a group of friends that were intertwined, but I never had the pleasure of hanging out with them (too cool). Almost ten years later, while living in my tiny studio apartment off of Arlington Street in Boston, Jaimie was just down the street living with her sister on Beacon Street in Back Bay. In the summer of 2014, it just so happened that Jaimie popped up on my Facebook newsfeed saying she was in Boston. I obviously took the time to stalk her profile before sending her a message that night (Aug 23): "Hey Jaimie just seeing if you want to grab a drink in the city sometime?" We met at my college alma mater's alumni bar, Tavern in the Square, for a #5 Auburn vs. #20 Kansas State football game on Thursday, September 18, 2014. While Auburn won 20-14, Jaimie watched me guzzle 24oz Coors Light drafts and yell "War Eagle" at the TV. It was love at first sight... I think. As we waited at Central Station in Cambridge for the T back to Boston, I asked Jaimie for a second date. A week later we went to the Museum of Fine Arts. The rest is history...

My Mom has been begging me to get married and give her grandchildren since 2009 when I was 22 years old (the age she was when she had me). It was on Thanksgiving day 2015 that my Dad asked why I was waiting so long to propose and told me that I need to take some initiative. I knew I wanted to marry Jaimie, but I didn't want to ask her before she was ready. One day during the winter of 2015 while walking to Jaimie's apartment after work, I noticed many missing bricks around the planting beds along the sidewalk on Dartmouth Street. It was then that I had the idea of how I wanted to propose. On December 20, 2015 I ordered two engraved bricks on Ebay that read: " Jaimie, Will you Marry Me? - Nick." I knew a brick would not be enough to show her I put some thought into the proposal so I started thinking of other romantic gestures. I booked a hot air balloon ride with a complimentary champagne toast. I marked it on the calendar for June 11, 2016. The date was set!

On February 27, 2016 I text my Mom to ask: "Do you want to help me find a ring?" Later that day, while on a pizza tour of the North End in Boston, I received a call from my Mom saying my Dad had a heart attack and was headed to the hospital. Jaimie and I rushed to the hospital in Worcester and spent the day in the ICU with my Mom and Dad. My Mom and I returned the next day to keep my Dad company. We talked about purchasing an engagement ring and looked at photos online to get a sense of what goes into choosing one. After my Mom and I determined what we liked best, my Dad insisted we go to a jewelry store that same day to look for one. I was hesitant to leave his side, but ultimately decided to go. My Mom and I returned to the hospital less than an hour later with a giant diamond and half of my bank account missing. My Mom had tears in her eyes and my Dad was ecstatic.

As soon as I had the ring I wanted to get it out of my hands and into Jaimie's. I quickly realized I could not wait until the hot air balloon ride in June to ask her to marry me. I had already booked a helicopter ride for two for Jaimie's Valentine's Day gift so I decided to use that for the proposal instead. Shortly thereafter, I decided the helicopter ride was also too far away. Jaimie always tells me that I am impulsive. This was the moment I realized she was right. I went on a Google search for romantic New England dinner dates. I arranged a private dining experience at the top of a lighthouse in Newburyport, MA for Saturday, March 26, 2016. The date was set again!

The weekend before Easter Jaimie had a girls weekend planned on Cape Cod. I knew that this would be the perfect opportunity to ask her parents for their blessing to marry their daughter. On that Sunday afternoon, I reached out to Mr. and Mrs. Hogan to let them know I was stopping by. They were waiting for me in the kitchen when I arrived with flowers. They appeared to know exactly why I was there. I immediately began my spiel about how much I love their daughter. Mr. Hogan interrupted me and said "It's OK, Nick. We like you. You have our blessing." I was off the hook after rehearsing my speech for two hours during my commute from Boston. After a conversation about our future, I headed back home with a smile on my face.

The night before the proposal, on Friday after work, I walked over to Jaimie's apartment with the engraved brick that had been in my closet for the last three months. Around 5:15pm I placed the brick in the ground where one was missing. At around 5:30pm I began to set up my GoPro to videotape the proposal while waiting for Jaimie to get home. All of a sudden I see her walking toward me out of the public alley where she parks her car after work. She was early! I quickly stashed my camera in my pocket and tried to act as normal as possible. Meanwhile, I was sweating bullets. While walking toward her apartment together, Jaimie asked me several times why I was acting so weird. I was certain I was caught!

As Jaimie got ready to go out to dinner I ran back outside to lay out flowers along that sidewalk leading up to the brick. When I returned to the apartment I paced back and forth as Joelle and her boyfriend, Frank, told me about their work week. It was then that I pulled Joelle aside to spill the beans that I planned to propose to Jaimie that night... And to ask if she approved, of course. Joelle grabbed my shirt, pulled me into her room, and quickly shut the door behind us. She burst out: "Are you serious?!?" along with a hundred other questions. Meanwhile, Frank was outside the bedroom door wondering what the heck was going on. With a loud and very over-the-top Boston accent, Frank enters the room yelling: "Dude, you poppin' the question?" We quickly dispersed and tried to act calm when we heard Jaimie walking up the stairs saying she was ready. It was time.

As we walked toward the restaurant I led Jaimie toward the flowers laid out on the sidewalk along Dartmouth Street. Shortly after asking me again why I was acting so strange she noticed the brick in the ground. As we stood beside the brick I got down on one knee and uttered "Will You...?" I could hardly finish the question because I was a blubbering mess. Jaimie said YES! However, in typical Jaimie fashion, she asked me: "Are you sure? Now? Did you ask my parents?" My answers were yes.

Phone calls, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat ensued as we walked to a restaurant downtown to celebrate. Joelle and Frank joined us for dinner. Jaimie's brother, Billy, and his girlfriend, Devon, joined us later on at a bar for celebratory libations. The following day Jaimie and I enjoyed breakfast atop the Newburyport lighthouse and talked about a wedding and plans for our amazing future together.