Richie and Shannon fell in love when they were 15 and 13 respectively... but it took them 10 years to say it out loud.

Richie and Shannon met through Shannon's step mother, Nora, and Shannon remembers seeing and being stunned by his handsome school photo before she even met him. Richie remembers meeting Shannon in her kitchen wearing a punk rock t-shirt and skinny jeans and immediately thinking "this is trouble."

Through stolen glances and (mostly) covert flirting, the two spent the next 4 years thinking they each had an unrequited crush that wouldn't go away. This lasted until Shannon's parents convinced her to ask Richie to her junior prom after a recent break up. That night they had their first kiss.

For reasons neither of them can truly put their fingers on, overwhelmed and heads spinning, the two didn't talk about it again for years and both tried to move on; Shannon went to college and Richie joined the Navy. Over the next four years, the two spoke little but couldn't contain smiles seeing each other at holidays and get togethers when they were both visiting home.

Finally, after Shannon graduated college, the two found themselves in constant communication again and let it out how they both felt. On August 20, 2017 following a Norfolk Tides baseball game, the two decided to give this a real try and haven't looked back since.

Over the last 5 years, Richie and Shannon have found true happiness, understanding, compassion, partnership and love. Richie asked Shannon to marry him on Sept 25, 2022 at the bottom of a sky fall giving her the best day of her life.

Richie and Shannon feel so blessed, and even moreso with all the love they have been shown by family and friends.

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