In 2015, we both found ourselves in beautiful Sarasota, but it wasn’t until 2019 that fate brought us together at a local boxing gym. We noticed each other immediately and inquired about our names, yet neither of us made the first move.

Fast forward to January 2020, when we “swiped right” on a dating app. David, wanting to keep things low-key, used his middle name, Christian. Our match sparked excitement, but when I (Leah) messaged him asking, “Do you work out at Jaco’s… or do you have a twin?” he vanished without a trace! For months, the only interaction we had was passing each other during back-to-back personal training sessions. I’d say, “Hey Christian,” and we’d both laugh. Our trainer, clearly rooting for us, would try to keep us in the gym at the same time, hoping something would spark. Then came the end of 2020—when God finally intervened. One day, I unexpectedly finished work early and reached out to my trainer for a last-minute slot. I never worked out during those hours, yet there was a 1:00 PM opening. Unbeknownst to me, David had also chosen that rare mid-day time for his session, starting at noon.

As I entered the gym, the delightful scent of fresh flowers caught my attention. I remarked, “Mmmm… these smell amazing!” My trainer replied, “They’re from David.” I joked, “Oh, you mean Christian?” At that exact moment, David was washing his hands in the open doorway of the single bathroom. He overheard me, walked right out, and said, “Hey Leah, I think we should go out sometime.”I was completely caught off guard and teased, “Oh, you do, do you?” He laughed and responded, “Yeah, let’s go to dinner.” After a brief pause, he quickly added, “Or lunch?” I said, “Okay, lunch sounds great! Do you know how to reach me?” He cheerfully replied, “I’ll just find you on a dating app!” With a playful eye-roll, our trainer kicked him out of the gym and promised to send him my number. The next day, David texted me, and from that moment on, our love story unfolded beautifully.

Now fast forward to November 2024—the night before Thanksgiving. With my family visiting, David orchestrated the perfect surprise at Pac Rim Restaurant, the same place where our journey began on our first date. Before we even walked inside, he stopped me on the sidewalk, at the exact spot of our first kiss. With a hidden photographer ready to capture the moment, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was completely taken by surprise... and, of course, I said yes!