Leila & Chris
Leila & Chris
It all started with Bumble and a bit. Leila and Chris had been on and off the dating apps for a while. Leila had been on long enough to notice a trend of single men taking poor photos of themselves. She thought offering them better photos was a funny way to start the conversation. When she and Chris matched, she hit him with her well-worn opening line only to be impressed by his intentional response.
The conversation flowed easily, and Chris was quick to ask Leila out that weekend. Unfortunately, she was heading out of town for her maid of honor's birthday. It wouldn't be until the end of the month before their schedules aligned to meet up. Being an avid fan of documenting her days via the app 1SecondEveryday, Leila grabbed a quick video of Chris (with his permission) on their first date.
Once again, Chris proved himself to be a man of quick action by asking Leila out for a second date the very next day! Leila accepted, excited to hang out with Chris again before he left for California later in the week. The new pair stayed in touch throughout his time away with the video chat app Marco Polo.
Little did they know, Marco Polo would become their saving grace as they embarked on their official relationship a month later. Living on opposite sides of the often congested Hampton Roads Bridge tunnel made it feel like a long-distance relationship at times. Despite Chris's demanding schedule as a Navy Nuke preparing for deployment, he never let it hinder his dedication to Leila. Together, they faced the challenges of distance and work commitments with patience and perseverance, building a solid foundation to love each other well.
The Proposal
Leila was convinced Chris would pop the question in December. And when he didn't, she thought, "January, for sure!" But January came and went. Then February... nothing. SO by the time March rolled around, she was sure he'd wait until after his deployment before popping the question. Chris said he wanted to do something big before getting shipped out in April, and he floated the idea of a helicopter ride above Hampton Roads followed by two nights at a dark sky park. On a beautiful day in March, the two headed to Hampton Roads Helicopters for the ride of a lifetime.
Seeing her hometown in a new way warmed Leila's heart. From above, the highway, typically long and imposing, looked tiny and insignificant. The beaches were a breathtaking sight, and spotting dolphin pods added a touch of magic to the experience. As they flew, Leila pointed out to Chris the streets where she grew up and her favorite brunch spots. They also caught glimpses of several military bases and even Chris's ship from the sky! The hour long adventure was over too soon as the helicopter headed back to the air field.
Before they took to the sky, Chris mentioned that his family would be dropping off some food for their stay at the dark sky park. So when Leila saw them waiting in the hangar bay upon landing, she didn't suspect a thing. It wasn't until she spotted her brother, and then her roommate Angela popped out yelling congratulations, that she started to catch on. But before she could fully process those thoughts, Chris was behind her, on one knee, with a ring in hand.
