How We Met
We have been to school together since middle school, I was a cheerleader and he played football in high school. I always knew who he was but never had the chance to talk to him much. He graduated a year before me and went to APP state, after I graduated from high school I went to the community college in our hometown. 2 years later I got accepted into the Nursing program at the community college. Walking into class the first day and I saw him, Zach was sitting towards the back.
Over the first year of nursing we talked casually in the hall or during breaks from class, but after the first year of nursing, I decided to switch my major. In between my next couple of months, while waiting for my new school classes to start, I started working at the Burke County hospice. One February night, I got called into work, I had this day off and normally didn’t work night shifts, but I went into work simply bc I needed the money. While getting a report a tall brown-eyed boy walked out of the patient’s room and I called to him and hugged him- just like we had known each other our whole lives. I didn’t know Zach yet but something inside me kept feeling drawn to him. As I was beside him, holding him as he cried while his grandfather passed away I felt a connection to Zach that I’ve never felt with anyone before. After that night a couple of weeks passed before Zach contacted me. A week later we went on our first date – a drive-in movie, where we spent the whole night snuggling in the bed of his truck and talking about everything and anything. 2 weeks later while dancing in the peach orchard in his front yard he asked me to officially be his girlfriend. Now, only 8 months later, after my soul has wandered aimlessly for years, it has finally found its partner.
How They Asked
I was on Facebook and saw a lady had 2 Biltmore house tickets for sale! Knowing Zach and I have been talking about going I told him I was going to buy them. So I sent the lady the money, and a week later, the day before we were going to the Biltmore the tickets still hadn’t been delivered. I was so upset bc I wanted to go and the tickets off the website were sold out, so I came to terms that we just weren’t going to be able to go this year. 30 minutes after telling Zach I didn’t receive the tickets he calls me and says he called Biltmore and that a couple had to cancel their tour bc they had a death in the family, so their tickets were up for sale- and Zachary bought them. I was so excited, so the next day we dressed in our best and arrived at Biltmore.
Walking through the house they have a professional photographer that takes your picture in front of a huge tree. I was very excited about this because it was our first time seeing the house at Christmas and it was so beautiful. I told Zach we need to get our picture taken and he shook his head and said no let’s get them taken at the end of the tour. I didn’t think anything about this and simply walked on. At the end of our tour though, we were not able to re-enter the house. Zach and I talked to 5 different people begging them to let us in the house just to take a picture. When we finally got back in, I led us straight to the breakfast room, where the pictures were being taken. As I took my jacket off, Zach gave his phone to a lady and told her to press the red button.
As I fixed my dress I turned around and Zach was down on one knee. But, knowing how clumsy Zach is, I had thought it had tripped and fell and I said out loud – “ What are you doing? Get up” Zach grinned and nodded down to his ring and my heart felt as if it could explode! I was so happy, of course, I said yes!!’
Later, I had realized that a couple really hadn’t had given up their tickets, he had bought tickets for my parents to come and watch the proposal, thinking we would have the tickets off Facebook. With us not receiving the tickets off Facebook, he used the tickets that were intended for my parents. I was so blown away at how much he had planned this! After we left the house he surprised me with a special dinner with my parents and his!
