Some love stories start with a swipe or a chance encounter — ours started with my Grandpa Mike.

While my grandfather, Mike Clark, was receiving physical therapy from Denise Wismar, she happened to notice a photo of our family — one of those big group pictures filled with grandkids. She recognized me from a local restaurant in town and, out of nowhere, told my grandpa, “She’d be perfect for Tyler.”

That was all Grandpa needed to hear.

Soon after, he sat me down, eyes twinkling with mischief, and said, “I’ve got just the guy for you.” He told me his name — Tyler — and while I recognized it, I couldn’t quite put a face to it.

Turns out, I wouldn’t have to wait long.

My dad invited Tyler to lunch not long after, and as soon as he walked in, I knew exactly who he was. We started talking, and it just clicked. Conversation came so naturally, and before long, we were discovering all these unexpected connections — like how we had unknowingly stayed at the same hotel in Munising, Michigan on snowmobiling trips. We had been orbiting around each other for years without ever realizing it.

From that day forward, it was like the universe kept opening doors for us. We laughed, we adventured, we supported each other — and slowly, everything just began to feel like home. There wasn’t one huge “aha” moment when I knew he was the one. It was all the small things: his kindness, his patience, the way he made me feel completely safe and completely myself.

That summer, we built a front porch together — one board at a time. It became a symbol of everything we were creating: steady, intentional, and full of love.

And then, on November 1st, 2024, as the fall air settled in and it was just the two of us on that porch we built, Tyler surprised me with the question that would change everything.

There were no big crowds, no cameras — just him, me, and the quiet kind of magic that only comes from being exactly where you’re meant to be.

It was the easiest “yes” of my life.