Aylene and I met when we were teenagers. Our relationship fizzled out predictably after a few months since it was mostly through AIM and phone calls after 9pm, for Aylene lived in Long Island, NY and I in Blacksburg, VA. After 12 years without contact, we reconnected at my friend's wedding, her cousin who first introduced us all those years ago. With our distance this time only being from Fairfield, VA to Chapel Hill, NC where Aylene coached volleyball at UNC, I visited whenever I could. I met An within an hour of arriving during my first visit for a volleyball match and we quickly gravitated toward each other during post-game celebrations. I like to think good people recognize other good people and so we became fast friends. An created my first Christmas gift for Aylene (a necklace) and for her mother (matching earrings). The next summer, Aylene got a coaching job in Fairfax and we moved in together, but whenever we found ourselves back in the Triangle, we would catch up with An over good food and wine.

Almost 5 years later, I was ready to propose and An was my second text. The first was to one of my best friends who, during a ring cleaning trip to the jewelry store four years prior, had seen Aylene try on rings, taking pictures and making sure that we would know her ring size and exactly what she wanted. Unfortunately, after so much time, my friend replied with only three pictures and the ring size was forgotten. With a surprise proposal in the works, An came to the rescue and helped me through the process. Whenever Aylene talked about engagement rings, it was always about size… big. I told An my budget, we talked about the variables, and he came through with a ROCK. A slender band with a four prong setting accentuated the diamond. We went with platinum over gold for the additional strength as Aylene has been known to hulk a towel holder right off the wall. I kept the ring hidden away for four days while we had company, and I proposed when she walked through the door after dropping the last of her friends off at the airport. We spent the next two weeks surprising our friends and family with the news, including a FaceTime with An. Throughout the whole process, An was discreet, responsive and incredibly helpful even from 250 miles away. We will be back in Durham before our wedding to eat too much at MSushi and create our wedding bands at Atelier N.

- Colin, Fairfax, VA

JULY 13, 2022

Aylene & Colin