Stephen and Kara met on May 8, 2014. Stephen was playing guitar outside the Clarksburg Harris Teeter, Kara walked by and thought he was cute and they struck up a conversation. Or so the story goes. The truth is actually much more interesting and much more romantic.
Kara had just moved to Maryland from Sasebo, Japan. She had spent her entire high school life in Japan on a military base. She went to a DOD high school. It was very small and there were not very many boys to choose from. None of them caught her eye so aside from one very awkward Prom date and an airport terminal fling, Kara hadn't even made the attempt at dating. She thought that eventually a boy would come along that would be exciting and interested and worth making a fuss about but as of yet, she hadn't met one.
Having just moved, Kara downloaded the popular app MeetMe in the hopes of making some new friends in Maryland. The MeetMe app was apparently much less popular than she had been led to believe and to her disappointment there was only user in the area; Stephen Benas. So Kara messaged him. Hoping that he was was into video games, Lord of the Rings, and the color black. Stephen and Kara messaged for a month before deciding to meet in person. Stephen, being the outgoing, fun loving, partying goof ball that he was suggested they go to a party. Kara, thinking that though he seemed cool, he could still potentially be an ax murderer, opted for a meeting at the local Harris Teeter. It was in walking distance. It was public. It was perfect!
Stephen arrived at the Harris Teeter fashionably early. He had been talking to this beautiful girl online for nearly a month now and was concerned he may have been catfished. How often do you actually meet a gorgeous girl on the internet? Then he saw her bright red hair from across the parking lot and knew he had lucked out.
Kara had no trouble finding Stephen. Stephen, thinking they could go to a party after their public meeting, had worn a very bright yellow shirt (according to him it would look quite nice under the black lights). He adorned dad shoes (comfort over fashion) and sported what can only be described as a Bieber cut. He thought he looked dashing. Kara on the other hand, wore a grey tank top (one of the few times she ventured out wearing anything but black) and jeans.
Stephen was instantly hooked. His first thought was "wow". He was genuinely surprised that she was a real person and not as his friends had suggested a 40 year old man. They instantly connected and spent the next four hours locked in conversation. Stephen tried to impress her with his guitar playing skills, even playing behind his head. Though he looked like a bit of a dork, once they stated talking Kara felt like she'd known Stephen for years. The connection deepened the more they talked and by the end of the night Stephen had won her over. Finally a boy worth her time.
And that is how the only two MeetMe users in Clarksburg met. What are the chances that two people so perfect for each other would be the only users of a niche app?
It wasn't long after that Kara and Stephen were seeing each other all the time. They were practically inseparable. Stephen knew he needed to make it official. He had found a girl, he thought was way out of his league and he needed to lock it down. So one day on the way back from dinner, Stephen pulled the car into the driveway and sat awkward, silent; unsure of how to get the words out. Eventually he mustered the courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. And she said yes.
Fast forward a bit and Stephen decided to fulfill a life long dream of enlisting in the navy, following in his grandfather's footsteps. Kara, having grown up with her mom in the navy knew the sacrifices it would require of both of them. And knowing everything it would cost her, her career, her freedom to move where she wanted, her ability to establish roots, Kara immediately suggested they elope. If they were married she could go with him anywhere he went. They could live together. It was everything she wanted. Without a second hesitation, Stephen said yes. They were married in the courthouse on March 17, 2017. Stephen left for basic training on April 17, 2017.
Kara sent Stephen so many letters covered in hearts. She sent pictures. She sent words of encouragement. She sent memes. Anything to brighten his day. After bootcamp was A-school. Stephen knew that he wanted to give Kara a real wedding, a proper proposal. So he got to planning. He picked out the perfect ring. Kara, ever the detective, was able to deduce and then get him to admit that he had in fact bought a ring, all the while in separate states. It was like she could read his mind. A woman's intuition is never wrong. But it was still up to Stephen to come up with the perfect proposal. He briefly considered the beach, but Kara hates sand. So decided on the Melting Pot. They had a shared love of melted cheese and nothing was more romantic than dinner and a proposal. He got down on one knee, presented her the ring and asked if she would marry him. Kara, tearing up, said yes. Though, Kara swears there were no tears, Stephen remembers them (and he has the evidence).