I first met Grace virtually, and I immediately knew she was the kind of person I aspired to be at work. She was capable, confident, professional, and poised. When we finally met in person, the first thing she said was, “I didn’t expect you to be so tall.” An intern overheard and added, “Ha, she thought you were short.” Though I felt slightly slighted, I couldn’t help but laugh. In that moment, I knew she was going to be hilarious to work with.

Being in different departments meant we didn’t interact much, but one day, in the kitchen at work, I confessed my fear of skating. Without hesitation, she offered to teach me.

At the time, I expected her to be the same person outside of work as she was in the office—funny but still professional and serious. But as our skate sessions turned into venting sessions and deep conversations, I discovered she was so much more. We bonded over our similarities while laughing at our differences, and I found myself looking forward to every moment we spent together.

When I moved to Seattle, Washington, I doubted it would ever feel like home. But Grace changed all of that. She became a constant source of warmth and joy in my life. She quickly found herself in one of those rare slots reserved for best friends, and it wasn’t long before I realized how much she truly meant to me.

Grace is one of the kindest, most empathetic, intelligent, and hilarious people I have ever met. The more time I spent with her, the more I admired her. People say you should surround yourself with those you aspire to be like, and Grace was that person for me.

At first, I thought my feelings for her would end at admiration and friendship. But they didn’t. She has such a beautiful soul, and I found myself drawn to her in ways I couldn’t ignore.

I began to realize that every new experience I imagined felt incomplete without her. Almost every day, we found something fun to do together.

We were inseparable.

Then, one day, she had to be away for a month. During that time, it became impossible to ignore my feelings. I missed her deeply. But more than that, I realized I had already started falling for her.

Now, having dated and being engaged to Grace has been the most incredible journey. These moments together are just the beginning of our story. I feel incredibly blessed to call her my fiancée and even more blessed to soon call her my wife.

I can’t wait to spend forever with her. Grace, you are my everything, and I am so proud to be your partner. I am excited to be your husband, and to all the chapters we’ll write together.

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