As many of you know, we both grew up in Iowa Falls, Iowa and have known each other since childhood. Although we had a few overlapping classes and extracurriculars, and despite Caleb being a regular at the Coffee Attic (where Maggie worked), our friendship really blossomed on the tennis courts behind Caleb's house. Maggie would regularly walk down the hill and across the swinging bridge to the courts and text Caleb, asking him to come outside and hit. Caleb maintains that Maggie, an upperclassman, was just using him as a backboard. About ten years later, Caleb would propose to Maggie on these very courts.

In the intervening years, we both moved out of state for college and spent significant time abroad. However, we always made time to meet up and share our adventures when we were home over the holidays. In 2020, Caleb had just returned to DC from studying in Moscow and Maggie was in law school, but when the pandemic began, we both came home to Iowa to be with our families. When a ruggedly handsome man stumbled into the Coffee Attic, Maggie hardly recognized her old tennis partner. Over that summer, we rekindled our friendship, but it wasn't until Maggie moved to DC for work that sparks began to fly. Just kidding.

Although we spent countless hours together, it took us a while to admit our feelings for one another...one much longer than the other...rhymes with Schmaleb. :) At long last, we made it official and began a whirlwind romance. Two weeks later, Caleb left, kicking off a year of long-distance dating. The good news is we both accumulated thousands of frequent flyer miles visiting each other. Many Facetime calls and handwritten letters later, we finally reunited, certain we never wanted to be separated again.

Over the Fourth of July Weekend, 2023, Caleb planned an explosive proposal, with fireworks and everything! On a surprisingly nostalgic walk in the park, Caleb got down on one knee and asked Maggie to marry him, in the place where it all began.