…i said (absolutely) “yes!”

about 3 weeks ago, steve said, “hey- i made a dinner reservation for us on sunday, the 25th, at our favorite winery in temecula. it’s our one year anniversary!”

if you all can recall, life was very (very) different a year ago… and steve and i still lived across the country from one another.

“what are you counting as our one year?” i asked.

“it was the day you gave me your phone number,” he replied (…so sweet).

so, the days continued to tick by… then sunday, august 25th, came.

nothing out of the ordinary… though steve was carrying a bag with tissue paper in it.

“what’s that?” i asked.

“oh, just a lil’ somethin’ i picked up for you. it’s nothing big, but i saw it and thought of you- so i picked it up.”

off we went to the winery, and were seated at a private table surrounded by wine barrels.

steve ordered a few glasses of bubbly. in my mind, it was our one year anniversary- so i didn’t think anything of it.

once the glasses came, he placed the gift bag in my hands and asked me to open it.

it was a (really adorable) soft, plush, stuffed dog.

admittedly, i was a bit perplexed. i mean… i couldn’t have opened it at the house?

then, he started speaking.

“you know… back in 2021, you caught my eye. in 2023, you captured my heart. you’ve added so much to my life… i’m a better man because of you… and i couldn’t imagine living a single day without you….”

then he got down on one knee… and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest.

what?!?

to be perfectly honest, i don’t remember what he said after that. all i know is, a beautiful rose gold diamond ring was placed on my finger… and i left dinner that night with a forever promise to the kind of man and the type of love i’d always hoped for— and finally found <3