Phil POV:We met at a UFC Fit gym, unaware how much that brief moment would mean. On Emerie’s first day, we learned the gym would soon close. She was in a long-term relationship and quietly loved UFC, taking the job partly to watch fights. We bonded over Corey Sandhagen, and I became the only one who knew. That conversation lingered. Months prior, Em reflected on her relationship, and a tearful visit to UNT, she told her mom she felt something new. As the gym closed, something opened between us.

Em's POV: This past Valentine’s Day, we traded dinner plans for a last-minute adventure. Phil surprised me with a trip two hours away to a quirky, dome-shaped Airbnb,like Patrick Star’s house. It had everything we love: road trips filled with Disney songs, endless questions he patiently answered, frozen pizza, wine, and video games. In that strange little bubble, we shared one of our sweetest memories yet. It was a peculiarly US-quality time and wine!

Phil's POV: Em recently took out a small loan after nearly funding her entire college education on her own. She’s set to graduate-May, making this a key priority. We had planned to move in together in August, but financial pressures delayed it. Em is helping her younger sister through college+paying rent, while I returned to school for physical therapy, her lease was renewed, and our move, postponed. We hope to invest in our relationship and ensure she's debt-free, first-generation-graduate!