In January 2025, Khalil got down on one knee and asked Amara to marry him. Looking back on that moment, Amara says, “It was one of the best moments of my life,” not knowing the obstacles Khalil had faced in the days prior.

Khalil had originally planned to propose on Christmas morning. Everything was set—the moment, the setting, the excitement. But on Christmas Eve, as he reached into his backpack to pull out the ring, panic hit. He had the box, but the ring was missing! He had left it in Europe !

“I had a vision for how I wanted to propose,” Khalil explained. “I’m a designer, so every detail mattered. The box the ring originally came in was white, but I wanted a sleek black velvet one. So, I ordered a new box, switched them out… and apparently forgot to move the actual ring into the new box! When I didn’t see the ring in the box, my heart sank.”

Khalil’s brother, who lived near his apartment, was out of town in Marrakech visiting family. The only person with access to the apartment was his wife, who had just given birth the month prior. Khalil spent the entire night frantically making calls, desperate for a way to get the ring before New Year’s Eve. When Amara questioned why he wasn’t coming to bed, Khalil said, “I am going to stay up to eat, I have not hit my protein goal for the day.” (This wasn’t unusual behavior for Khalil.)

After a lot of back and forth, his brother somehow managed to convince his wife to retrieve the ring and send it. It finally arrived just one day before Khalil was set to fly back to Europe.

That night, determined to pull off his long-delayed proposal, Khalil casually suggested after the gym,

“Do you want to go out for dinner? Maybe the steakhouse or Alice B?”

Amara, foiling his plans, said, “No, I am starving and sweaty. I would rather just eat at home.”

After dinner, Amara sat on the couch playing on her phone, and Khalil tried again.

“Do you want to take a shower?” he asked.

Amara, confused and slightly offended, replied, “No…? I just want to sit here on my phone.”

A few minutes later, there was a call from the front gate.

Amara asked, “Did you order more food?”

Khalil replied, “Oh yes, that’s for me!” And in came a bouquet of red roses. Amara thought it was a sweet gesture, assuming it was a parting gift before he left for Europe. Khalil handed her the flowers and said, “I’m going to take a shower,” grabbing a single red rose before heading upstairs.

Amara thought he was just being silly and was going to put it next to her side of the bed, as he did sometimes.

Khalil then yelled from upstairs, “Amara, can you bring the body wash from the shower in the guest room?!”

Amara was confused by this because she did not like the smell of that body wash, which was why it was in the guest bathroom, but she thought, He must have just run out of the one upstairs.

When she reached the top of the stairs, the lights were off.

“Khalil…?” she called, half-expecting him to jump out and scare her.

Then, the first notes of her favorite song started playing—the one she had listened to on repeat while running through the streets when they first fell in love.

Amara instantly started crying. She knew what was about to happen.

Khalil stepped into view, freshly showered, dressed in black velvet pants and a red button-down shirt, a single red rose in his hand. He walked toward her, got down on one knee, and with a smile, asked:

“Amara, will you marry me?”

Standing there, still sweaty and in gym clothes because she had refused to shower, Amara laughed through her tears and said yes.

And just like that, she became the happiest (and sweatiest) fiancée in the world.

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