Once upon a time in October of ‘22, a boy met a girl in a cafe.

McKenzie, a teacher at the time, was on her way back to school after a pumpkin patch field trip. She decided to make a quick stop to get a coffee at her favorite cafe, Hohl. Little did she know the boy she had been hearing much about (who just moved here from Australia) would be sitting at a table in the corner. His name was Ethan. As he was leaving, she introduced herself to him and shook his hand. After that brief exchange, they went their separate ways in the parking lot – not without a second glance back to each other. An undeniable spark as their eyes met.

For a month, they would see each other often at church and both frequent this cafe and “run into each other” (both knowing the other went every Saturday). Sometimes they would sit at the other’s table and talk for hours.

One day in December, while the song “Harvest Moon” was playing, Ethan asked her out to go on a date that Saturday. They had their first date at Spoke & Art, a bike shop/cafe, on a rainy day with fall fading out. The day felt perfectly written by God (or a hallmark screenwriter) and involved refills of tea, taking the long way, safe conversation, spontaneously going to a Christmas market, and then ending in quite literal fireworks they didn’t know would be happening downtown.

Sadly Ethan went back to Australia soon after that, and they both kept that memory of that one date, wistfully writing songs about each other, and wishing things were different like one another’s good ole fashioned “one that got away”.

After some time had passed and touch was lost, a happy birthday message reacquainted them. They started sending each other quick audio messages to catch up. These started to get to be an hour long, back and forth. Finally, Ethan asked if they could call.

So one day in April, Ethan asked if McKenzie would be open to a relationship. After a summer of intentional FaceTimes, Ethan made a visit to Virginia in August to ask McKenzie to be his girlfriend. He asked her while they sat on the porch swing of the cabin she was living in. He gave her a letter and sunflowers, signifying that the rain was over and the sun showed a clearing before them. And they would be like sunflowers, always positioned towards the Son.

That started their 1 year long distance journey. In that time, they sent letters, got creative with FaceTime dates (they made cardamon buns over the screen!), McKenzie visited Australia to meet his family, and Ethan made a few more visits to America (his last one a surprise for their 1 year anniversary). During that visit, they received McKenzie's working holiday visa to live a year in Australia! Their time dating in Australia has been filled with spending time with Ethan’s family, going to the beach, lots of cafes, serving in church together, and getting ENGAGED! Of course, the proposal involved sunflowers like all important questions should!

They’re excited to get married this fall where it all began and make their home in Virginia.