How We Met
Stacey first met Nick on October 21, 2013, which just so happened to be Nick’s 22nd birthday. Stacey was helping with the UNC Charlotte Club Baseball Team’s bake sale. When the allotted time for the table rental was up, all the guys had already left. Stacey was alone to pick up all of the supplies from the bake sale. However, Nick stayed behind to help. He had just met Stacey, but offered to stay, on his birthday, to clean up. Stacey thought that Nick was a sweet guy for offering to stay. Nick and Stacey were each dating other people at the time.
But over the years, as their individual relationships grew apart, Nick and Stacey’s friendship continued to develop. They supported each other through hard break-ups and spent time talking about each day. Eventually, the friendship led to a relationship. On December 29, 2014, Nick asked Stacey to be his girlfriend. He leaned over at a stop light on the way to their friend’s house and asked. It was the most unromantic way he could have possibly done it.
In fact, Stacey checked later that night if Nick was serious because of the abruptness in the car. He assured her that they were, in fact, dating. The next couple of years were pure bliss as Nick and Stacey each graduated from UNC Charlotte, Nick in May 2015 and Stacey in May 2016. They watched each other start careers, Nick helped Stacey move into her first grown-up apartment, and Stacey supported Nick as he was offered the head coach position of the Little League Team he was once a player on.
how they asked
Over the past couple of weeks, Nick had me dress “nice” to go downtown and watch the sunset. One night, he had me bring my nice camera and we went to a park that overlooked the skyline and watched as the sunset. Every single weekend that passed, I thought I was about to get engaged. I would get really, really excited and then I would get really, really disappointed. This happened every single weekend. I finally texted Nick on May 20, 2017 and told him I was tired of it. I told him that I was not going to “dress-up” any more and waste all my cute outfits to just stand there and watch the sunset. I told him that since we were having a low-key night, that I would be wearing leggings instead of a dress that I had just bought the day before and that I did not want to go downtown again. I was furious. I told him to stop playing with my emotions and that I was tired of it. He responded later, “wear your dress”. I thought to myself that if he plays with me one more weekend, I am going to lose my mind. Finally, later that night we went downtown to “watch the sunset” at the park we had been at the past several weekends.
However, when we pulled up to the park, it was PACKED with people there for a concert. Nick could probably tell and see the frustration on my face, so he decided to tell me that we were actually downtown for a tour of the Knight’s Stadium, the minor league baseball team in Charlotte. He told me we had to meet at 8:30 pm at the gate. It was only 8:00 pm, so we walked to Mellow Mushroom and we got a quick drink at the bar before walking over for our “tour”. When we arrived at the gate, there was a CMPD officer guarding the entrance. Nick looked at her and simply asked, “Do you mind if we just take a look around the concourse area?” She just let us in, no questions asked. I looked at Nick and immediately said, “That cop is not doing her job. She did not ask for our IDs or ask us why we were here.
What if we had brought something into the stadium?” Nick just ignored me and told me that we needed to meet someone named Nicole at home plate for our tour. I then asked him, “Nick, who schedules a tour this late at night? It’s dark outside and we wont be able to see anything.” He still ignored me as we walked towards home plate on the concourse level. When we got closer, I started to feel really uneasy. I asked Nick where Nicole was because there was nobody in the stadium. As soon as I asked that, I saw a flash go off behind us. Immediately after the flash went off, I knew what was going on. I threw my hands over my face in embarrassment and surprise as I watched the love of my life get to one knee. I still to this day have no idea what he said to me as I must of blacked out a little, but all I know is I saw the man of my dreams kneeling in front of me with a BEAUTIFUL ring.
I’m not even sure if I actually said the word, “yes”, but I was over-the-moon excited. The photographer then captured a few more pictures before we headed back to the main gate. Nicole, the lady who was suppose to give us the tour, was there to meet us. She handed us a celebratory Bud Light can and let us sit in the stands and enjoy the view and the moment.
I couldn’t even enjoy the moment, because I was on the phone trying to call every single person I knew trying to tell them that NICK JUST PROPOSED!! When we were walking out of the gate on the way out, Nick decided to tell that CMPD officer what I had said about her when we first arrived. I was so embarrassed and apologized. She just laughed and screamed, “I cannot wait to tell my friends that!!” Looking back now, I am so sorry to Nick for complaining the ENTIRE night. He truly put his heart and soul into this special moment. I am so thankful for him and his patience with me. He is truly one of a kind.
