My Best Friends Fell in Love - Part 5 💌
THE FINAL PART IS HERE! Aidan and Grace have their "happily ever after" this week - check it out!
Thanks for being here to read part 5 of Aidan and Grace’s nonfiction love story! If you missed the earlier parts of the story, no worries! Click here to read part 1, click here to read part 2, click here to read part 3, or click here to read part 4 now. 🩷
Quick Housekeeping This Week:
This is week 5 out of 5 in the serial sharing of Aidan and Grace’s nonfiction love story!
IMPORTANT: There will be pieces from the original story missing from my Substack serial publication. This is to maintain the privacy of my friends. I only post content written for my clients if they have pre-approved the publication. I will not be sharing any moments or information that my clients are uncomfortable sharing with the public, so please bear with me as I replace some sections with brief summaries. I have also changed some names to maintain privacy for characters who are not my clients.
I offer personalized nonfiction love stories as a service. This is how I make my living! If you’re interested in having a special memory, collection of events, or full love story immortalized in your very own printed book, don’t hesitate to save your spot on my project-for-hire list or schedule a free consultation with me here to ask any questions that you may have. (P.S. I’ve also discovered that a story like this makes for the coolest surprise gift for a loved one!)
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Thanks for reading my housekeeping notes this week. Here’s part 5, the final part of this serial!
June 15, 2024
The academic year went far better than Aidan and Grace could have imagined. By early June 2024, the couple was ready for engagement.
Although Aidan wasn’t too fond of his trucking company job, the year he’d spent in Dallas alongside Grace had still been fun. Grace had enjoyed herself as well, working through the first year of her SMU program. Most importantly, the couple found themselves encouraged by their roommates. Nick* and Sarah* were also planning on an engagement in the near future. Aidan and Grace were grateful to grow alongside their friends as they all approached a new season of life.
Knowing that Aidan intended to pop the question soon, Grace was constantly suspicious.
But when the proposal finally happened, she never saw it coming.
Over the first few weeks of the month, Aidan mentioned to Grace that his mom recommended they try a new restaurant that had opened in Waco. He was insistent that they should try it out, claiming that the visit to Waco would make for a fun date night. While this would’ve raised proposal alarm bells for Grace, she was convinced that he wouldn’t propose on the weekend they chose to go. It was a busy weekend for her family in Kansas, with her parents and brother all at home assisting with the annual wheat harvest. She assumed Aidan wouldn’t propose when they weren’t available.
Boy, was she wrong.
On the morning of their Waco date, everything felt normal. Aidan picked up bagels for breakfast and came over to Grace’s apartment. She displayed to him a few dress options for the day. He obligingly helped her choose, but his demeanor was nonchalant.
After the pair had eaten, Aidan headed back to his room to change. He called his parents, throwing the phone on his bed as he riffled through his wide selection of button-ups.
His mom picked up.
“Today’s the day,” Aidan said. “I’m gonna ask her to marry me.”
On the other end of the line, Aidan’s mom called for his dad.
“That’s great news, but you seem off,” she replied to her son. “What’s going on?”
“Oh, I’m just not nervous,” he breathed. “Which makes me nervous. Shouldn’t I be anxious for this?”
His parents were silent for a few seconds.
“No,” his mom finally said. “Aidan, you’re not nervous because you know this is the right decision. You know this is the girl for you, and you know she’ll say yes. You don’t have to be nervous because you can be so confident in your choice.”
Realizing his mother was right, Aidan relaxed his shoulders. Grace was the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with; and not only that, he was confident that she would make an incredible spouse. He was ready to take this step with her. Of course he wasn’t nervous - he’d never been so sure about a decision in his life.
“Thanks,” he replied, grateful. “Dad - don’t forget to send the fake restaurant text later.”
“I won’t,” he replied. “How could I?”
After wishing their son well, Aidan’s parents hung up. While they knew the next time they’d speak with their son he’d be a fiance, they weren’t anxious. They were truly excited for him and the sweet young woman he loved.
Grace was a little taken aback when Aidan returned to her room all dressed up. He wasn’t typically one to dress the least bit fancier than was absolutely necessary. Pretending to inspect him for a ring box, she gazed showily at his pockets. Laughing, Aidan brushed off her suspicions, claiming the sole purpose of his nice outfit was to look presentable for their date. After all, she was wearing a dress.
On the ninety-minute drive to Waco, Aidan turned on country music. Halfway through the drive, Cody Johnson’s “Diamond in My Pocket” began blaring through the speakers. Grace jokingly shot Aidan an “I’m on to you” expression, but he kept his cool as they drove along the flat highway to Waco, casually mouthing the lyrics as they went.
Aidan and Grace arrived in Waco early, hoping to spend a few hours revisiting their college town. They first headed over to Pinewood, an outdoorsy-feeling coffee shop complete with old records, greenery, and picnic tables. The couple grabbed coffees to-go and chatted on their way back to the car, reminiscing about their Baylor years.
For the first time that day, Aidan began to feel a bit nervous about the proposal. While he wasn’t concerned about the outcome or unsure in his decision to ask her, he wanted Grace to love it. He wanted the proposal to be special for her so that she could cherish it forever.
Aidan reminded himself that he, too, needed to stop and take it all in. He needed to calm down and enjoy every moment of the day. He’d only get to propose once.
After they finished their drinks, Aidan and Grace drove over to Baylor’s massive new Welcome Center, a titanic-esque building complete with modern glass pillars. They walked around the main area of the center, but the visit was brief; they soon headed back to the car so they’d be on time for their dinner reservation. As the couple walked across the expansive lot, though, Aidan received a text from “the restaurant.”
“Huh,” he said, his brow furrowing. “It says our reservation has been pushed back an hour.”
“What?” Grace asked, surprised.
“I know,” Aidan replied, shrugging. “I’m sorry. That’s so weird.”
“It’s okay.” She opened the car door and slid into the front seat.
“So,” he offered, joining her. “What should we do with our free hour?”
Grace thought about it for a moment.
“Fabled?” She suggested. Fabled was a cozy local bookshop and cafe that she’d missed while living in Dallas.
“Hmm.” Aidan crinkled his face in distaste.
“Okay,” Grace said, laughing. “Not Fabled. How about Cameron?”
Aidan perked up. “Yeah,” he said. “Let’s do that.”
He started the car and took off in the direction of the park.
Once they arrived, Aidan drove along the winding roads for a while. Due to the intense Texas summer heat and their nice outfits, the couple had opted for a drive rather than a hike. But as Aidan headed back down the twists and turns of Cameron, he surprised Grace by taking a sudden left into the Emmon’s Cliff lot.
He parked and turned to look at Grace. “Let’s go on a little walk.”
“Okay,” she said, puzzled. It was 100 degrees outside and he was dressed in full-length pants. Why on earth would he want to go on a walk?
But she didn’t complain. The pair got out of the car and sauntered around the viewing area, nearly melting under the sun’s rays. Aidan casually glanced off to the right, trying to locate the bouquet of flowers that he’d instructed his brother, Nathan, to place on the ground. The bouquet was intended to mark the spot where he should take Grace for the proposal. That way, Nathan could get clear photos from wherever he’d hid in the surrounding shrubbery.
Aidan located the flowers, but he instantly became anxious when he noticed an elderly man lounging on a bench right behind them. If he proposed now, not only would the man appear in the photos, but he’d also be able to hear every word the couple said.
Aidan tried to casually steer Grace back towards the car. Pulling out his phone, he texted Nathan frantically. There’s a dude sitting there! You gotta make him move!
Grace and Aidan got back in the car. Aidan tried not to stare at his phone as he awaited Nathan’s reply. While Grace checked her text messages, he peered through the windshield to find his brother, camera in tow, climbing out of a bush and shuffling toward the senior.
Nathan must’ve told him what was going on, because the man nodded, stood, and lumbered off. Aidan stifled a sigh as his brother’s slim frame dove back into the shrub.
“Hey,” Aidan said, nudging Grace. “We forgot to take a picture.”
“Huh?” Grace responded, incredulous. Aidan Weis was not one to go back out in the heat for a missed photo op.
“Yeah,” he pushed. “We should take a picture up here. It’s a good view.”
“Okay.” She grinned, hoping that perhaps her photo-loving tendencies were finally rubbing off on him.
Aidan led the way back towards the overlook. As the couple approached the bouquet, Grace grew more confused. Noticing the bright colors, she at first thought someone had stuck fake flowers in the ground. But as they drew nearer, she realized the flowers were certainly real - they’d been wrapped and placed neatly in a shaded spot atop the hill.
Grace’s heart began to pound as she realized what was happening.
Turning to face her, Aidan grabbed her phone and keys and tossed them out of the way. He clasped her hands in his own and led her toward the flowers.
Reaching them, Aidan stopped and gazed deep into Grace’s ocean eyes. While he’d stared at those eyes a million times before, they always took his breath away.
“Grace,” he said, shocked by the confidence in his own voice. “You’re my best friend. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Wide-eyed, Grace stared back at him with a huge smile on her face. She tried not to jump for joy as Aidan got down on one knee. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sparkling emerald-cut ring.
She gasped.
He gazed up at her. “Will you marry me?”
Grace was overcome with a joy she’d never experienced before.
“Yes!” She exclaimed. She leaned down to his level, cupping his face in her hands. “Of course I will!”
Aidan stood and pulled her in, hugging her tight. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she slipped hers around his neck in a warm embrace.
Grace suddenly noticed a soft clicking sound. She glanced to her left to find Aidan’s brother, crouched in a nearby bush, his face eclipsed by his camera.
“It’s okay, Nathan,” Aidan said, following Grace’s gaze. “You can come out now.”
Grace laughed as Aidan’s brother climbed out of the bush, wiping shrubbery from the front of his pants as he made his way over to the couple.
“Congrats!” He smiled.
As the pair reenacted the proposal for some posed photos, Aidan reflected on how strange it was that such a brief and simple moment would result in such a massive life change. Their lives would never be the same, and the transformation could be traced back to one decision.
But he also knew that this feeling was only an illusion, for there were years of thoughtfulness and care leading up to that pivotal moment. They had chosen to put one another’s needs above their own day after day, decision after decision, long before they decided to spend the rest of their lives together.
In other words, Aidan and Grace were meant to be - not because they loved each other in their own way, but because they loved one another in the way that God had loved them first. The couple was ready for a strong, joy-filled marriage, for they’d built their relationship on the most solid foundation of all: the teachings of their Creator, who is in Himself the very definition of love.
HEY! THANK YOU FOR READING AIDAN AND GRACE’S LOVE STORY. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A DETAILED PERSONAL LOVE STORY TURNED INTO A PHYSICAL BOOK OR E-BOOK, CHECK OUT MY WRITING PACKAGES HERE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 💖💖💖
*Names changed for privacy purposes
Emma, great ending to a great love story. You did a wonderful job with this and I'm sure Aidan and Grace were very happy with the story too. - Jim