Gabriel's side: "I took her on a motorcycle ride because it's fun to give people rides, especially when they've never been before. I told her I'd take it easy. We're riding around town on some of my favorite roads. I slowed down, looked back at her, and asked, "you want to see a wheelie?" She replied, "sure!" and tightened her grip! I looked back and said, "no, you're gonna get off and I'm gonna do a wheelie." It was at that moment I realized this woman is someone I could hang with. After doing a couple wheelies, she got back on and we continued our ride. I kept asking if she wanted to go back or keep going. She always replied to keep going. We went out to Pentwater and sat on some rocks along the lake and talked for probably about an hour. Being this was only the third time I had ever seen her and the first time we were actually hanging out, it was peaceful. We eventually went back to my house and I was thinking she'd leave after that, but she hung around! I showed her the chickens and the pigs. I eventually needed to get in the shower to go to work and she just hung out with my parents the whole time! After all that, I knew she was special and quite possibly the one for me!"

Andrea's side: "The first afternoon we ever spent together, he took me for a ride on his motorcycle. I’d never been on a motorcycle before so I was a little nervous but he was extra careful and made it easy to relax and have fun. He took us all over Ludington, through the Stearns beach loop, and eventually we made it to some back roads that didn’t have any traffic. That’s where he slowed down and looked back at me to ask, “wanna see a wheelie?” I have to admit, I was definitely confused. How could I *see* a wheelie when I was on the back of the bike with him? Shouldn’t he have said “wanna *do* a wheelie”? But I had only a split second to make my decision so, with much apprehension, I said “sure???” as I held on tighter. He laughed and said, “no, not with you on; you’re gonna get off and I’m gonna do a wheelie.” Relieved, I said, “oh, that makes more sense.” I got off and he did a couple wheelies (which were very impressive) and then I hopped back on and we continued on our way. He headed toward Pentwater and, unbeknownst to him, took us down my favorite road in Ludington: Lakeshore Drive. The drive always reminds me of where I grew up in Harbor Springs. I didn’t know it then, but in just a few short months I would be showing him Shore Drive in Harbor, along with the place where he would one day propose. When we arrived in Pentwater, we decided to take a break for a bit near the channel. We sat and talked for what felt like ages and it was during that conversation that it struck me how comfortable I felt with him. There were no nerves or butterflies. He was just easy to talk to and when we lapsed into silence it never felt awkward. It was like we’d known each other for years and I’d never experienced that with anyone before. When we got back to his house, I kept expecting him to make some indication that it was time to part ways, like “well, this has been fun…” but he never did. Instead he invited me inside and made me food! We sat in his kitchen chatting about music and church and photography like we’d done it a thousand times. And when he needed to get ready for work, he just left me upstairs with his parents! We chatted like we hadn’t just met that day and the whole time in the back of my mind I was thinking how natural and at ease I felt being there—like it was meant to be. It was the strangest thing! And when Gabriel lingered so long he made himself late for work, that’s when I should have known that maybe there was something there…"