Kalei & Kyle met the summer of 2021 as summer youth interns at the Crestview Church of Christ in Waco, Texas. Before meeting at the end of May that year, the two shared little contact, exchanging a few text messages within the group of interns. Upon Kyle's arrival, Kalei was so nervous to meet him that she did not even shake his hand. It still stands as a joke between them to this day. Unbeknownst to Kyle, Kalei developed feelings early on that summer for him. She talked to her parents about the possibility of dating once the summer ended, but she only saw it as a dream. Kyle was oblivious. He never had a clue that feelings were there. He even denied his own feelings after his parents asked him why he talked so much about Kalei to them. Kyle's personal policy of not dating co-workers didn't stand a chance.

The summer continued and the two began to fall deeper and deeper in love with each other. Both of them agree that the trip to Alaska was the peak of their flirtations, but no moves were made on the trip: just subtle actions done by either Kalei or Kyle to show affection. There was no clarity for their true feelings until one night on the roof of the church building; they had a moment of realization about their mutual feelings.

The summer ended soon after, and they had to be long distance friends for 5 months because of a commitment Kyle had made to singleness and an upcoming busy semester. However, once that ended, the two began dating on December 30th, 2021. They dated long distance for nearly 2 years, and then Kyle proposed in Rogers, Arkansas (where he grew up) on October 12th, 2023. The answer at first was "You lied to me!" as Kalei referenced Kyle's necessary fibbing to hide the engagement. She was only mad momentarily. The answer was yes and the celebration began. The celebration continues until April 27th, and Kalei & Kyle cannot wait to start their new life together.