It all started in October 2022 when Rachel’s college roommate, Erica Hauge, was visiting and invited Rachel watch the Tennessee vs. LSU game in downtown Knoxville with her new boyfriend, Zach England. Rachel nearly skipped it that morning, but went—and Kyle, invited by Zach to join, had arrived early to grab a spot on the Old City Sport Bar porch. Rachel, Erica, and Zach showed up fashionably late, and Rachel and Kyle hit it off right away. We spent the next six hours cheering on Tennessee, swapping stories, and laughing until we cried. The next day’s hiking plan fell through (thanks to Zach and Erica’s loose coordination), so we ended up at Kyle’s apartment for a movie night. Rachel brought movie-theater popcorn from her job at Regal, Kyle put on a Pixar film, and we talked the whole night instead of watching. A few more hangouts followed, then more—and soon Rachel and her cat Izzy never left. Over the next three years we built a life together: buying a house, traveling (including a trip to Alaska), filling our phones with pictures of Izzy, and making countless memories. On September 15, 2025, we reached a new chapter. Rachel’s sister, Jessica Stewart, had “won” tickets to the Biltmore and invited Rachel for a girls’ weekend while Kyle was on an annual camping trip. The weekend felt oddly orchestrated; Rachel joked to Jessica that maybe this was the weekend she’d get engaged. Jessica laughed it off, claiming her mission was to help Rachel pick an engagement outfit. After stopping at a lagoon before dinner, Jessica suddenly hugged Rachel, whispered “I love you and I am sorry,” and walked away. Rachel turned and saw Kyle standing there. We both agree that time seemed to freeze. Kyle got down on one knee and asked, simply, Will you marry me? Rachel jumped and said yes. We both definitely didn’t cry.