Mackenzie and I met while working together at Stadium View in Jonesboro. She had moved up here for school from Woodlawn, while I did the same from Piggott. We instantly clicked as friends and began confiding in each other with a lot of our personal lives. We were co-workers for around 2 years. We always had a great friendship, but it was never anything more than that. Mackenzie left Stadium View for a position at St. Bernard's after I ended up leaving for a traveling position with our corporate office. We still stayed in consistent contact, even though she'll tell you we didn't. I stayed in my role for about 6 months before a position back at Stadium View opened up that allowed me to come back home permanently. When I came home, Mackenzie and I reconnected pretty quickly. We got the old staff together for a dinner at JTown's and it felt like we talked every day after that. Still, nothing came of it. One night I had needed a ride home and she offered. I used my dog, Dolph, as an excuse for her to come and hang out. We watched a movie and then she came over just about every day after that. We weren't in the talking stage very long (again, she'll tell you differently) before I asked her to be my girlfriend. All these years of this close friendship had finally come together in the form of a relationship. About 6 months after making it official, we bought our first home together and become engaged on March 1st, 2024!