We met in 2019, when Michael was new to Alberta and hoping to meet some new people. Around the same time, completely by coincidence, Lauren reconnected with someone she had known for a long time, who happened to be one of Michael’s coworkers. That same night, Michael had mentioned to his coworker that he was hoping to meet some new people and have a few more people to hang out with. Not long after, that coworker reached out to Lauren and said, “Hey, there’s a new guy in town. If you want to show him around?”

Lauren said yes, and that new guy was Michael.

We met for what was supposed to be a short drive around Bruderheim, but it turned into a three-hour drive. We just kept talking. If you know Lauren, you know she’s shy, and if you know Michael, you know he’s very quiet. But somehow, neither of us ran out of anything to say. There were no awkward silences or forced conversations. It just felt easy.

Our first official date was on Canada Day, and from there, we started spending as much of our free time together as we could. Days off quickly became days spent together, and we became very close, very quickly. A few months later, while sitting in Michael’s car, he asked Lauren to be his girlfriend. She said yes, of course.

Over the years, we moved in together, got through a global pandemic, grew into adulthood together, and built a life side by side.

In April 2026, we travelled to Lauren’s home country, England, so Michael could meet her family. While we were there, Michael planned a little trip for the two of us to Bournemouth and had a very detailed itinerary.

We took the train down to Bournemouth, checked into our ocean-view hotel room, and spent the day exploring the seaside. We walked along the beach, visited the pier, had lunch, got ice cream, rented bicycles, visited the Oceanarium, and wandered through the amusements. It was a perfect, textbook seaside day.

As the sun began to set, we wandered away from the crowds and found a quiet little section tucked away from everyone else. It was almost like our own private corner of the beach.

We set down our blanket and set up our phone to take some photos and videos, which was completely normal for us.

And then Michael got down on one knee.

After nearly seven years together, after all the ordinary days, the big moments, and building a life together Michael asked Lauren to marry him.

Lauren’s response was an immediate yes, followed by a lot of disbelief and some very enthusiastic “shut ups,” more times than she can count.

And now, after all those years, we’re getting ready for our next chapter together: forever.