A Marine truck driver had his home base in Lillington, NC. When he wasn't on the road, you could find him at the Afterburner Cigar Lounge. There was also a butterfly-loving girl whose daddy liked to frequent the same cigar lounge. Her retired Air Force father and that Marine became friends, despite their difference in Military branches.

One Saturday evening in 2021, the girl and the guy both found themselves at the Afterburner for a Memorial Day party. Her father introduced them and their story began, but God directed the play, so time went on.

About a year later, the girl's father and the owner of the Afterburner invited (or dragged) the Marine to Amplify Church with them. He began attending regularly.

Later that year, in the midst of moving back home from the beach, the girl began going to church with her parents at Amplify as well. That's when their story picked up again.

Once he found out that she was coming home to stay, he knew what he had to do. So, like a gentleman, the Marine asked the girl's father if he could ask her out on a date. And on November 12, 2022, that's what he did.

They went to a cookout, followed by coffee at Waffle House. As they sat and talked in that Waffle House booth, drinking terrible diner coffee, something sparked in both their hearts.

The girl felt something she had never felt before and she had to know if it was true. So when he dropped her off that night, like a gentleman, he hugged her and told her goodnight. Not willing to waste any time, she turned around, and said, "I'm curious about something... will you kiss me?" To which he responded, "I'd love to."

On the drive home, she heard Taylor Swift singing "Sweet Nothing" and she welled up with joy and relief, as she thought about how people say "when you know, you know," and she knew.

Apparently, everyone else knew too. On their second date at a Friendsgiving celebration, their friends planned their wedding. Most people would be embarrassed or freaked out by such a thing, but they both looked at each other and said "Hmm... that's not a bad idea."

Not long after that, they sat across from each other at a Mexican Restaurant, and he made her a ring out of a straw wrapper and asked if she'd marry him. Quoting Taylor Swift, she said "I like shiny things, but I'd marry you with paper rings."

After dinner, they decided a paper ring was not going to hold up very well with her obsessive hand washing. So he fashioned a new ring for her using paracord and super glue. It was quite romantic... until they realized the super glue had not fully dried and the ring was now stuck to her finger. But then that became somewhat romantic as well.

The following Christmas Eve, he proposed to her with a new ring that was more durable than paper and less invasive than super glue. It was a beautiful amethyst ring designed after The Little Mermaid. Did I mention the girl loved mermaids, too?

And how fitting of a fairytale, since the Marine's name is Eric and the red-haired girl's name is Miranda... which sounds a lot like "mermaid" if you let it.

Obviously, Miranda said yes to marrying Eric, because here we are. Thank you for being a part of the story as it has only just begun...