The first time Jonathan and I met was unplanned, I was actually wrapped in a towel straight from the shower while visiting one of my best friends in Tallahassee. Awkward to say the least. Several months later I received a Facebook message from none other than “Hooks” himself. Again, that didn’t really go anywhere, besides us exchanging phone numbers. Fast forward six months later, I got a text from a “random” number. Yes, it took him that long. I played it cool and went with it. I decided to take a trip with a friend to Tally for the FSU vs UM football game, which also happened to be Jon’s 25th birthday. We stopped by his apartment and had a few strawberry Jell-O shots (I met his parents this night…great first impression, right?!). Also, after a full day of drinking, Jon snapped a selfie of him and I and sent it to my mom from my phone! So I guess we both embarrassed ourselves.

After that night we exchanged a few texts, and next thing I knew he was coming down to Orlando for the weekend. He showed up at my apartment door in a tank top and all I could think was what a d-bag! But, I was completely wrong. Our night consisted of playing a trivia game and the first card that was pulled was “Name something sticky, that starts with the letter ‘c’", followed with some cheap take-out pizza. Let’s just say we couldn’t wait to see each other again.

A few weeks later he came back to Orlando and our first date out and about was helping me pick out a dog from the pound, who is now our fur baby. From here, I knew he was the one, and so did Dixie. We spent years traveling from Orlando to Tallahassee and Tallahassee to Orlando to see each other. Weekends went by quick and our time spent together never seemed long enough. We then went from years of being in a long-distance relationship to living together overnight. Jonathan received a new job and we bought our first home together in the heart of downtown Orlando. Our relationship started as nothing more than unique, and it continues to be that way (but with a few less tank tops).

This was the start of it all. Fast forward to about two years later, it was almost Christmas time. Jon had been acting super quiet, but clueless me just assumed it was typical holiday stress. On December 22nd, we planned to go out on the boat with some of my family. After our boat day, we had a late dinner reservation with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece at one of our favorite restaurants, Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

I wasn’t feeling dinner (it was super late and we just spent all day out on the boat), but I couldn’t turn down the giraffes and naan. Jon was sweating profusely and brought an extra shirt along with him, which I thought was super strange but didn’t think much of it. I even asked him why he was dressed up so nicely. Again, clueless. We made it to the restaurant and our table "wasn’t ready yet". From here we all went outside to “see the animals” – in the pitch black. My sister snapped a few photos and the next thing I know, Jon says he has to tie his shoe…instead he gets on one knee and pops the question! My first reaction was “shut the f**k up!” Then I finally said yes after a few happy tears and a state of shock. We finished the night with some champagne and of course, naan. Best Christmas present ever!

One day I was scrolling through Instagram and I saw a picture of Morgan and I said to myself, “Who is that?!” One of her best friends was going to FSU and I was still living in Tallahassee at the time. Her and I were also friends, so once I found this out I became very annoying and kept bugging her about Morgan. “Tell me about your friend. You need to introduce us.” Things of that nature. Megan kept telling me she was kind of on and off with someone but I was determined nonetheless. One day Morgan came up to Tallahassee for the Florida - Florida State game and this was the first official time we met. She happened to have just gotten out of the shower and was in a towel. She seemed embarrassed; I was intrigued. It was a simple conversation with the typical introduction. The next day Morgan stopped by my apartment with some friends to tailgate for the game and I couldn’t even get her to acknowledge my existence. I asked her if she wanted a drink, in which she politely declined. After that she never made eye contact with me again and her and her friends left within the hour of them arriving. This was at the end of November and we did not speak again until April.

That following April, Megan let me know that Morgan and her “on and off boyfriend” were finally over and now was my time to make a move. She told me I should Facebook message her and that Morgan would be expecting it. So I did. The conversation was sort of awkward, to say the least. I was writing paragraphs to her and she was responding with a sentence or two. But I kept trying. After a handful of messages the conversation ended with the exchange of numbers. I didn’t want to seem desperate so I waited to text her. I then ended up dealing with a family tragedy and I didn’t text her for almost six months.

It was the middle-to-end of October and I was with my then-roommate, Brian, in the drive-through line at Guthrie’s Golden Fried Chicken Fingers. After a late night of drinking, the “liquid courage” kicked in and I told Brian I was going to text this girl finally. To this day, I couldn’t tell you what happened in that conversation, but I received a text from her the next day. All must be well if she decided to keep the conversation going. I proceeded to shoot my shot. My birthday and the Miami – Florida State game was in a couple of weeks, and I was trying to get her to come up to Tallahassee that weekend. She was playing VERY hard to get, but she ended up making the trip to “see her friends”. Apparently nothing to do with me. Although this time she hung out at my place for hours and even met my parents this night as well.

The next weekend I drove home to Titusville which is within an hour's drive from Orlando, where she was living. Finally she texts me and says, “So, um, are we ever going to hangout?” I smiled and said absolutely. We set up a date for the following night. We ordered some pizza and played a card game. All I can remember was her drawing an awkward card and we both looked at each other and tried not to laugh. Surprisingly, she wanted to hang out with me again, and that’s how this all began. A couple weeks later I came back down to see her and our first “day date” consisted of going to Millenia Mall, and she also wanted to go look at dogs at the pound. She found the most perfect dog (Dixie), who happens to be a fan favorite now. And the rest is history.

From that point things progressed and we ended up dating long-distance for several years before I received a job opportunity to move to Orlando. We went from an LDR to living together overnight. It was extremely tough on the both of us at first, but we made it through. Every storm we’ve been through, we’ve weathered and we continually to get stronger together as a team. She is my person and my partner and my best friend. And I wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

Two years after living together and five years of dating total, I decided it was time to pop the question. It was December and my best friend went with me to go help pick out a ring for her. No way would I have been able to do this alone. I was so nervous and had no idea what to look for and how to go about it. I picked out the perfect ring and was so excited to give it to her. But I had to figure out the best way to do it, and I know I could not plan it alone or else she would know what was going on.

I decided to call Morgan’s sister, Lacey, and have her help. We also had to recruit Morgan’s niece, Elo, because Morgan could never say no to a request from her.

Three days before Christmas, we went to spend the day with Morgan’s dad and step-mom out on their boat. It had been a long day and we were exhausted, but there was still one thing left to do.

The plan Lacey and I came up with was to have a late dinner at one of mine and Morgan’s favorite restaurants, Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. As we were walking through the lobby of the hotel Morgan made a smart remark and said, “I want to stay here after we get engaged. Ugh, guess I have to wait another year for that.” I was a step or two ahead of her and tried not to laugh as I was smiling ear-to-ear. When we got to the restaurant, her brother-in-law, Matt, suggested that him and I go take a shot at the bar while we were waiting on a table. I was sweating profusely and he knew I needed something to level me out a little bit. We each took a double shot of Maker’s Mark. It was go time.

We walked outside to take a photo. After a group photo, Lacey told Morgan and I that she was going to get one of us two. That was my cue. I said, "Hold on a second I need to tie my shoe first." Morgan looked at me perplexed, and when I went down to “tie my shoe” I pulled the ring out from my sock and ask her to marry me. Her immediate response was, “Shut the f**k up!” Needless to say, that wasn’t the reaction I, or any guy for that matter, would be expecting. She backed up from me stunned before she broke down and cried and walked back towards me and said yes. We all celebrated with phone calls to our loved ones and drank some champagne.