Nickolas and Jhona’s acquaintance dates back to their childhood, first crossing paths at a vacation Bible school when they were just eight and nine. From then on, Nickolas developed a deep crush on Jhona as they occasionally bumped into each other at the Wednesday night youth group at the church across the road from where she grew up. Despite numerous instances where they found themselves in the same area, their timing was just not right, whether it was at local football games or even when Jhona attended Nickolas’s graduation without realizing his presence.

After high school, they went their separate ways, with Jhona pursuing college while Nickolas enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, eventually to be stationed in California. Little did they know their paths would cross again.

In February 2022, Nickolas began reaching out to Jhona, though she was initially disinterested. However, despite being in different locations across the country, an acquaintance formed a friendship. Soon, Jhona found herself drawn to Nickolas’s quirky and humorous personality. The turning point came when Nickolas decided to visit back home to Virginia in the summer of 2022, furthering the feelings they had for each other. They quickly discovered that they were each other’s best friends. On September 23rd, 2022, beside a warm bonfire under a starry sky, Nickolas asked Jhona to be his girlfriend before he left for deployment. Despite facing challenges such as long distance and seven months without seeing each other during Nickolas’s deployment to the other side of the world, their love remained unwavering.

They cherished discussing their future while dating, envisioning the life they wanted to build together. When Jhona flew out to Las Vegas to attend the Marine Corps ball with Nickolas, he took the opportunity and proposed on November 9th, 2023. They are both looking forward to the life they get to build together!