“When you know, you know.” That phrase was constant in my parents’ conversations with me on meeting girls, and I despised it. My attitude towards that phrase changed on January 21, 2023. Reporting to my new command the previous month, a couple of Marines invited me to party at the rooftop pool of someone's apartment building. You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day, and we looked to make the most of it starting the party at 11:00AM. Looking to cool ourselves of the heat from the sun and the grill, we took a quick dip in the pool. That was the first time I saw her.

She was absolutely beautiful, sitting at the opposite end of the pool reading a book (whether she was fake-reading like Sydney Sweeney in the first season of The White Lotus is up for debate). Every guy in our group saw her, then immediately looked at each other wondering who would make the first move. There was no way I would let that be someone else. Noticing that her friend just went to the restroom, my wingman suggested that we should wait until she returns. When she returned, we made our move.

The move was “middle school” fashion, to say the least. My wingman and I walked down the pool stairs with beers in hand, wading our way closer to the two girls. During the 10-minute approach, my wingman talked to me about Annapolis – where we both went to school. Unexpectedly, the girl’s friend initiated the first words – asking if we were talking about Maryland. Finally, we met Riley and Emma. After some small talk on the hot spots of Annapolis and Severna Park, Riley stopped (fake-)reading her book and sat close to me. Thinking she would ask me about more about Annapolis, she pointed to my beer and asked, “Why do you have that ugly koozie?” The koozie was from my mom – commemorating LSU’s 2020 National Championship and victory over Clemson. We laughed after I found out she graduated from Clemson the same year, but my effort was just beginning.

My invitation for Riley and Emma to join our party was met with a severe lack of enthusiasm. Watching us share laughs from afar, the group of 20+ military guys could not understand why the girls did not want to come over to the party. They sent me to ask the girls a second time, again met with the same lack of enthusiasm. The third time was the charm, as the whole group erupted like a murder of crows cawing. We then shared drinks and more laughs – especially when Riley challenged me to a game (Pro tip: Do not participate in the game, you will lose). As they left for a dinner with friends, I felt like Napoleon after the Battle of Austerlitz – I got her phone number.

Later in the night, I met up with Riley and Emma for more drinks. We shared more laughs and had a great time – it was the second best day of my life. I met up with Riley for coffee early the next morning, where our conversations of over five hours felt like a mere 30 minutes. Our first official date occurred a few days later at Puttshack – where the conversation picked right up and the night flew by.

The time continued to keep flying by, as I now write this story a year later. I've made a few tough decisions in my life. Asking Riley to marry me was one of the easiest decisions of my life, because this adventure with her means everything to me. And as I am sure you guessed, the day of our engagement – November 17, 2023 – is the best day of my life.

To Riley, I love you and cannot wait to begin the rest of our lives on April 12, 2025. To our family and friends, I cannot wait to celebrate this moment in our lives with you.

- David