In May 2022, amidst the chaos of New York Penn Station, Nicholas stood still as the world moved around him. He had only caught a glimpse of her — descending the long escalator, a mask covering half her face, but something about her stopped him cold.

Maybe it was the way she carried herself, the quiet confidence in her stride, or the way her eyes, expressive and magnetic, met his for the briefest moment. He didn't think. He just acted.

By the time she stepped off the escalator, he was there, waiting to talk to her. She hesitated, studying him, then pulled down her mask just enough for a small, knowing smile. "Hi, I'm Maya", she said, and just like that, the city blurred around them.

Just kidding, we met on Hinge! But this is the story of our first date.

Nicholas knew he wanted to marry Maya after the first date. He told her that and declared his love within the first week of them dating. Maya, of course, thought he was just smooth talking.

Little did she know, Nicholas knew he wanted to marry her and secretly bought Maya's engagement ring within the first year of them dating. By the second year, he was ready to propose and they had many conversations about marriage.

Planning the proposal itself was easy for Nicholas —it was just a matter of: timing it around their anniversary and coordinating it with family and friends without raising suspicion.

The most challenging part of the proposal for Nicholas was keeping the secret, especially since Maya frequently speaks with her mother and shares locations with her friends. Despite this, Nicholas was confident since the decision to marry had been clear quite a while.

Nicholas was enthusiastic on the big day, eager to make it official. In fact, his only concern was deciding which knee to kneel on. Ultimately, to him the moment was all about seeing Maya happy and surrounded by her loved ones.

Without hesitation, Maya said "YES!" she was filled with elation and surprise. Nicholas, feeling blessed, was positive their union was meant to be. The couple capped off their special day with a surprise engagement dinner surrounded by family and friends.