Shelby and Nick first met in 2016 at their friends’ Jimmy and Kelly Carlton’s house. Nick being a huge FSU fan, their friendship could initially be described as playful but adversarial (as Shelby was a Gator Fan at the time). What started off as a friendship would slowly blossom into a more serious relationship.

Following the 2016 football season, Nick and Shelby continued to talk and spend time with one another on a regular basis. During this time both would still deny to themselves and their friends that their “talking” was anything more than friendship. In the spring of 2017, their close friendship would take a leap forward at… you guessed it… The Carlton residency.

While playing a game of “Ring of Fire”, which has a requirement when you select a Queen; to ask the player to the left of you a question to be answered with a question only. Well, instead of playing the game the correct way, Nick decided to take their relationship to the next step and asked the wrong player who was sitting to the right of him (Shelby) if “you wanna”?

The “wanna” here was asking Shelby if she would want to date (in not so many words).

From this moment on Nick and Shelby began formally dating. Throughout the next 3 – 4 years many changes and milestones would come for their relationship.

When their formal dating began, Shelby would get a dachshund/ beagle mix named “Charlotte and Nick would get a German Sheppard “Elvis”. Both would get close with each other’s new addition (often claiming the other pet to be their own).

They lived separately for about another year; spending time going back and forth to each other’s homes, until Shelby and Nick decided to take their relationship to the next step. Nick and Shelby moved in together in the Summer of 2018.

By this time, Nick had all but converted Shelby from a Gator Fan to a diehard Seminole. Nick and Shelby would often go to FSU sporting events at any chance they got. They enjoyed vacations together, spending time with each other’s families and progressing their own relationship along the way. Spring and Summers would come and go with the hope that this relationship would progress beyond dating.

After many vacations and destinations traveled without a proposal, Nick decided the time was right. Now, before we give the details, we want to add that Nick had “The Day” planned for October 4, 2020, but the anticipation was eating him up inside. Nick with “the ring” in pocket was sitting by the fire pit in their back yard when Shelby walked out to sit with him. They talked for a bit about the day and random thoughts about the future when out of the blue Nick leaned to Shelby and asked her to marry him. Shelby at first thought Nick was a joking and didn’t take the question seriously, but then he pulled out the ring and got down on one knee and asked Shelby again to marry him. She of course said YES!

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