I graduated in 2020 as a single pringle and moved to Covington, Louisiana to start my big girl job. Kelvin and I lived by ourselves and had a few close friends to keep us company, and I was never one for meeting people at bars- much less in the middle of the pandemic. But my brother assured me I'd meet a nice, Southern gentleman in Louisiana, so I set off to meet him via Bumble.

For a few months, I didn't go on a single date. I figured, if staying home with Kelvin was preferable to going on a date, I shouldn't be going on that date. And then one random November evening, I came across Patrick.

I'd love to say that it was the many photos of his family or that his bio said he was looking for an "honest relationship". But I cannot tell a lie- I thought he was really cute! We matched, and I sent a non-chalant "Hi! How's it going?". I figured if he was looking for a super flirty girl, it wasn't going to be me anyways...

He ran with it! Our conversations were easy- who we were, our families, likes and dislikes. Although he hadn't outright said it, I could tell he wasn't talking to anyone else- we were just focusing on each other. Our first date was dinner at a little Italian spot in Mandeville, and a few things stood out to me that night...

(1) Patrick was true to his photos- tall and handsome

(2) Patrick was a gentleman- he waited for me outside the restaurant, didn't let me split the bill with him, and walked me to my car afterwards

(3) Patrick was very particular about his food and his whiskey

(4) Patrick talked A LOT... but it was okay because I liked his accent

Because we were still in the thick of the pandemic, I'd spend weeks at a time back in Texas, so in the next three months, we only had three in-person dates. But Patrick was persistent and deliberate- we kept chatting and he even went as far as scheduling Zoom calls. We laid all our cards out on the table early on- our intentions, beige flags, deal breakers, long term goals, politics, you name it. He was kind, family-oriented, patient, and very honest- a true Cajun Prince Charming. Patrick clearly and unapologetically knew who he was, and although he wouldn't be quick to change, he was more than willing to grow. Once I realized that he was going to be around for a while, I decided to introduce him to Kelvin.

January 2021, Patrick came up to Covington for a movie night and brought a pig's ear for Kelvin and periwinkle flowers for me. Kelvin immediately fell in love with him, and about a month later, I realized I had too <3

Fast forward 3 years of sharing our culture, families, friends, passions, and goals with one another... We decided to share a home as well. July 2023, we moved in together, and although it was such a relief not having to brave the Ponchatrain to spend time together, it was definitely an adjustment. We were co-parenting Kelvin, blending our lifestyles and schedules, and actively avoiding the looming roommate rut with intentional date nights.

One particular date night was a dinner reservation scheduled for March 16th 2024. Because we would already be dressed up, Patrick suggested we take some tripod photos at Audobon Park (my favorite place in New Orleans). I had some suspicions about what that really meant, but they were squashed a few days earlier when Patrick had brought to my attention that neither of us knew my ring size... a problem I figured we could address sometime in the summer. And although Megan and Shirley-Luz had encouraged me to treat myself to a manicure, they had also been nodding their heads for MONTHS whenever I suggested that Patrick wasn't a planner and we probably wouldn't get engaged until the end of the year.

So after a few weeks of throwing me off the scent and the most unassuming, relaxing day of biscuits and coffee, marathoning Dune 1 & 2, walking Kelvin around the neighborhood, and Patrick micromanaging my outfit, he took me to Audubon and popped the question. The ring was gorgeous, our families had snuck into town for a surprise, celebratory dinner, and the Cajun Prince Charming behind it all was officially mine (and Kelvin's) <3