Our story begins all the way back in February 2020. I (Stephanie) was swiping left on Bumble because no guy caught my eye except when I came across Ed's profile and I accidentally swiped left on him. I have never shook my phone so fast to backtrack so his profile came back up. One word caught my attention on his profile "Pilot".

Backstory: All my friends kept saying I should date a pilot since I love aviation.

I wound up swiping right on him and it was an automatic match. I asked him one first question I will never forget. 
 

"What made you want to work in aviation?"

He replied pretty quick and stated, "Since he was little, he loved watching airplanes in his backyard since his house was on the final approach area for Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW).

After that opening conversation, we seemed to be clicking right away talking about aviation. We exchanged phone numbers and decided to meet first over FaceTime to make sure we were not being cat fished by one another.

After the Facetime meeting, I asked Ed if he would want to join my friends and I for a dinner for an early birthday celebration on March 13th. He stated he would be happy to join us after he had dinner with his mentor.

Early March rolls around and COVID-19 decides to make an appearance into the United States. March 13th comes and right as I am finishing up at work, everyone at my work gets a news alert: "President Trump has declared national emergency and issued stay at home order."

All of the friends from my work stated they no longer wanted to go out due to the stay at home order and nothing would even be open because all non essential businesses had to be shut down by a certain time that evening. In the back of my mind, I was thinking "Happy early birthday to me...not..stupid virus."

I texted Ed shortly after getting released from work and asked, "well world is shut down now cause of the virus, do you still possibly want to hang out and just go for a drive?"

His response: "Sounds good, we can even try and go on a hunt for toilet paper." (Joke since everywhere was sold out).

He picked me up from my apartment and we just started driving and talking about his upcoming job training with a new airline he just got a job offer from.

He didn't tell me where we were going, and I didn't say to go anywhere specific. We take the exit off the freeway for the Milwaukee Airport and as we are at the stoplight for the exit he turns and asks with a straight face, "You ever been in a cop car before?"

I just turn to look at him and said, "No...why?"

He just laughs and says "Cause you are in one now."

Turns out his 2013 Dodge Charger was a former police car.

We went and sat at the airport viewing area watching the planes take off and land for an hour. Like I said before we couldn't do much since the world shut down. After we left the airport viewing area, we decided to go explore other parts of Milwaukee. By complete accident, we drove past the Milwaukee FBI office 3 times and we kept laughing and pointing it out to each other.

The morning after our date, I received a text from Ed asking:

"Despite me leaving for training in a couple of weeks, would you want to see each other again?"

I replied with: "As long as we aren't turned into zombies by then, sure."

Ever since then, we endured the highs and lows together by supporting each other unconditionally in life and in the challenges of our careers. Whether be 10 days apart due to Ed on the road for work, or missed holidays with families. At the end of the day we always say, together forever until the last chicken tender.

I definitely kept hinting at rings I liked and kept sending them to Ed as a hint. He kept reassuring me, "it will happen soon mi amor I promise."

One night we were visiting my parents house in Racine, and my mom suggested we should go out to a nice dinner as a family the next time Ed comes home from rotation. We planned to go out as long as Ed got scheduled to come home at a decent time that day.

January 30th, 2023 comes around and Ed mentions, "Hey my company is scheduling me to bring the plane to Milwaukee Airport tomorrow and end my rotation that way. It would be really cool for your family to come see it. I will keep you posted if you need to meet me at the terminal or Signature."

I got excited since I have never seen this new aircraft he was flying in person. I called my mom and sister in law to tell them the possible changes to the plans and they seemed really excited since they have never seen or been on a private jet before.

I woke up that morning thinking in my brain "It's Today!".

I got dressed up nice for work since my mom told me we were going to a nice restaurant and I would be leaving from work to go directly to the airport.

I kept telling my coworkers my hunch that Ed was going to propose today. Around lunch time, I saw I had a missed call on my phone from a local number. I googled the number and it shows up as a floral shop in Kenosha, WI. That was the last piece to the puzzle clicking into place.

Note from Ed: I told the flower shop not to contact the recipient of the flowers and they did the exact opposite.

I head to the airport as I leave work and not only was my family in the Signature lobby, his family was there as well.

We went out to the aircraft and we got to check out the private jet and spend time together as a family.

Ed & I were the last ones to disembark the aircraft. I go over to head towards my family, but then Ed calls me back over motioning for a hug. I walk over and we hug.

He whispers in my ear since it was super windy, "you know what's crazy? Our relationship started right there on the other side of the fence, now its time to make a new memory here." He got down on one knee and I started crying happy tears and nodding yes.

And from there we embarked on our next adventure in life.