For those who don't know, Bryce's mom, Kalli, is my boss and also my best friend. I met Bryce through her. She and I had been working together for almost three years when Bryce and I started dating. I remember the first time I saw him. He came by the dog school to visit Kalli. I was quiet and shy, so I kept to myself, sitting on a bench against the wall eating cookies. I remember thinking to myself, "He's pretty cute." He and I exchanged some quick "hello"s and "nice to meet you"s and he was on his way. That was back in 2019. In 2020, Kalli got him a cat, Olive. A couple months later, he got a job in NC and was moving and couldn't take her with him. I offered to foster her until he got settled in a pet-friendly apartment. One day, he came to my house to visit her. We both wanted some cookies, so we hopped in his little mini coop to go get some. This was during covid, so the only place open was a Kroger gas station. I waited in the car, and when he got back, he handed me a pack of Famous Amos cookies. I asked, "How did you know that these are my favorite?" He replied, "I remember you eating them at the dog school when I went to visit my mom." I was shocked at his attention to detail (and also his memory; it had been a year!). He could have grabbed any old pack of cookies, but he stopped to think about what I would really like. It is a gesture I'll never forget. From then on, I started to really pay attention to him. I soon realized that he was the most thoughtful, patient, and empathetic man I had ever met. In 2021, he got a job at Home Depot. I would take dogs in there to train all the time, so I would see him in the garden section from time to time. Eventually, I started planning my training sessions in Home Depot around his work schedule, just so I could get a few minutes to chat with him. The other employees in the garden section kept trying to get us together. Jenny, the cashier, told me, "Mark my words. You guys will get married someday." I thought she was absolutely crazy. But I did like him. One day, he knocked on my car window in the Home Depot parking lot and asked me on a date. The rest is history... I fell for him pretty fast. I realized that Jenny from Home Depot was right; I was going to marry this man. Even though Bryce is the first guy I've ever dated, I knew I didn't need to date anyone else. My heart belongs to him <3