Our story is quite a long one and way too many details to filter through. But here’s my best shot.

Where it all began:

Rose and I became friends passing notes in Science class in 6th grade 2009-2010. We were only 11 or 12 years old. My first impressions of her was that she was very strong-minded and kind of sassy (very much still the same) but also had this amazing smile and positive presence, which made her stand out to me. The following year, 7th grade, we had what seemed like half or most of our classes together and naturally became best friends. A lot of people thought that we belonged together back then but I was afraid to take that extra step and risk losing a best friend if things went south. I do remember specifically telling my friend James that I kind of like this girl named Rose. (I didn’t follow through until years later with that thought.) When I got my first cellphone she was one of the first contacts in my phone and I remember texting her all the time. Through the next few years she was always a reliable friend and I would confide in her about anything and everything. I may not have always made it easy for her but she stuck by my side and we would often lean on each other when we were down.

Highschool:

A few years go by and we moved on to the same High School. Naturally, our friendship had continued to grow. It got to the point where I couldn't stand the thought of Rose dating anyone and no guy would ever be good enough for her in my eyes. So I decided to step up to the plate and on June 14th, 2013 I took the leap of faith asked her to be my girlfriend. Immediately after I felt so nervous. She was my best friend and if something happened I felt I would lose that. Our relationship endured the crazy time of Highschool and looking back we experienced a lot of exciting parts of our lives together. First time driving, homecomings, football games, and track meets, prom and graduation. It wasn’t always a smooth road but I believe a testament to our relationship is how we were willing to work out any problem in order to maintain our friendship.

College and beyond:

After high school, we pursued our dreams of fashion college and flight school. Luckily, it worked out that we both stayed in town. My family moved from 7 to a 45-minute drive away from her while she went to college 45 minutes in the opposite direction. But we would always make time in our busy lives to see each other. Even if that meant Rose sitting at the bar at California Pizza Kitchen every night after her shift at Anthropologie while I worked. We both enjoyed countless movie dates, art museums/galleries, game nights, and some traveling. Rose was there for all of my flight accomplishments from my first solo flight to becoming an airline pilot. We also enjoyed celebrating her bachelor's degree in fashion marketing and opening her online boutique. More recently, we adopted our quarantine pup named Kylo while living in our apartments in North Fort Worth. We are now preparing to move into our new home in April!

In the works:

Many times through the past almost 9 years people always asked about marriage and I had a plan all along. My goal was to be at the airlines and let Rose be settled into her fashion career as well. Unfortunately, Covid pushed my airline start date back about a year. It was getting to the point where I really didn’t want to wait any longer and I knew she couldn’t either. It occurred to me when we went on a birthday trip to Newport Beach that I was not equipped to propose. I hadn’t gotten her parent's blessing and explained my intentions. Nor had I really met with my parents to seriously talk about it. Soon after, things started moving with the airlines and I would begin training. I sat my parents down and told them the plan Rose and I had heading into the next year and that sometime before then I wanted to propose. This will always be a bitter-sweet memory as that was one of the last times I saw my step-mom before she passed. She was so excited and was actually the one to suggest a Christmas time proposal. The next day I found myself alone with Roses's parents and received their blessing.

The Proposal:

My dad passed down my mother's ring and as fate would have, it was the perfect size for Rose. I had a vacation in December so we booked a trip to Breckenridge. We both love the mountains and thought it would be a nice Christmas village to relax in before the holidays. I decided that I would propose there. I didn’t have an exact plan but had faith in God that it would work out. As soon as we got there we walked along a river just outside our lodge and I knew that was the perfect spot. Something just felt right. On our last night there I got on one knee and….froze. All that I could think about was her perspective looking down at me and where we started just 12 years old passing notes in science class. We both have dreamt of this moment. She said “of course” before I could even make out a word. As she kissed me I blurted out the official “Christina Rosa Eaton, will you marry me?” It was the perfect moment. Even a professional photographer happened to be in the area and offered some engagement photos. What a blessing!

As I write this I realize that we’ve been friends literally half of our lives and been in a relationship for most of that. We have experienced many different phases of life together. It’s not every day couples endure such a duration of time where you’re still figuring out who you are and what you want to be. As individuals, we have changed quite a bit but also found strength in each other and are blessed to have grown together. Through all of that time, my future was always envisioned with Rose by my side. Although times have been tough lately with loss, I look toward the future with excitement! I know each and every day we have together is a blessing. Being her boyfriend was cool and all but I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life as her husband.