Erik and Melodie begin their story unexpectedly in the last place they expected to find love: Prelude Dance Competition. Melodie drove an hour south and Erik a slightly longer 8 hours to VSU to perform in front of an audience, something they were both plenty used to by that point of time in each of their lives. After stage rehearsals and the subsequent cast meeting had concluded, the two left the auditorium as part of two completely different groups but only a few feet apart. Erik had "extrovertedly" decided to yell out to the crowd asking a question about the Virginia culture being that it was his first time there. The introverted Melodie walking right in front of him at the time had decided to go against her nature, turn around to this explosive voice, meet eyes with Erik's and begin what would become the start of their story...

After getting to know him better through a series of very hard-to-get texts, Melodie had finally bought bus tickets to travel to New York to spend time with Erik. He toured her and her friend, Alyssa, all through the city on the best food tour he could lead, impressing Melodie enough to finally let him hold her hand...

Melodie picks up Erik from Union Station after his 4-hour Greyhound bus trip back to the DMV since Prelude. Later that night, the two make their long-distance relationship official over hot pot, the couple's favorite meal.

The two, along with the rest of the world, quarantine and manage to make the most of their relationship online. They FaceTime from morning-to-morning and go on several romantic island rendezvous.

The two take off the "long-distance" adjective from their relationship after two years of dating through screens and traveling back-and-forth for weekend getaways with one another.

To ensure that Melodie would never forget the day that they met, Erik had come up with a plan leading up to that 5-year anniversary. Although Erik did everything he could to plan the perfect proposal, Melodie fell victim to the one thing that could throw a wrench in his plans: an unforgiving cold. With his original plans out the window, Erik managed to preserve whatever romance he could in a proposal to the under-the-weather Melodie. By bringing it back to where their relationship started, he proposed to Melodie over their at-home hot pot, giving Erik an energetic "Yes!"