It was an April night, and Derek, fresh in Ottawa for his PhD, was at a prayer night at Calvary Baptist Church. As the service began, Derek spotted the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen walk in. Determined to meet her, he enlisted his friend Luke to help welcome new folks to CBC. Derek introduced himself and Luke to Sharaya, the angelic being he was captivated by.

Sharaya's name meant princess in Hebrew, which Derek found perfectly fitting. As they talked, Derek's mission became clear: he needed her phone number. When Sharaya mentioned wanting to serve more in the community, Derek seized the moment to offer help and casually asked for her number. Little did he know, this was the start of a beautiful journey together.

For the next few months, Derek was busy with his exams, and Sharaya was making friends and deepening her faith. They chatted occasionally after church, with Derek finding excuses to talk to her. Sharaya, on the other hand, was battling her own nerves every time they spoke.

Things changed when Nick invited both Derek and Sharaya to Greek Fest. Sharaya extended the invitation to Derek, who decided to treat it as a first date. Dressed in his best clothes, Derek aimed to impress. The night was a success, and they began texting regularly.

After a week of texting, things slowed down on Sharaya's end, leading to a period of radio silence. However, a week later, they reconnected while helping Derek’s friend move. Sharaya offered to drive Derek home, and they ended up spending more time together, getting bubble tea and talking for hours in a nearby park.

A week later, Derek took Sharaya on their first official date. They discovered their mutual admiration for Miley Cyrus and set their anniversary for September 15th.

After many late-night discussions, Derek and Sharaya agreed to wait until after their winter semesters to get engaged. In May, Derek began planning the perfect proposal. One night, following Sharaya's last exam, Derek staged a fake proposal to celebrate, hinting that the real one was coming soon.

Derek had the ring since March, purchased from Howard's on Bank Street. He planned to propose at his apartment, with the help of Luke and Yulia. They transformed the apartment into a romantic wonderland, reminiscent of when Derek first asked Sharaya to be his girlfriend.

After a fancy dinner, Derek took Sharaya on a walk to the bench where they first got to know each other. He faked another proposal, keeping the suspense alive. As they returned to the apartment, Sharaya was greeted by a red carpet with rose petals, 200 candles, and pictures of their journey together.

At the top of the stairs, Derek got down on one knee and proposed in sign language. Sharaya, left mostly speechless, said yes. They celebrated with Luke and Yulia, knowing this would be a story to tell for years.