I knew I wanted to marry Arland very quickly, and I think he felt the same because, unknowingly, he bought my ring six months into our relationship. I told him that if he wanted to marry me, he would have to get the kids’ permission first.

Arland and I had been together for a little over two years. We have traveled to the Gulf Coast, England, the Netherlands, and Las Vegas. We have gone through the stresses of health issues, the death of a loved one, illness, and teenage drama. I moved in with him along with my kids, and we bought our beloved dog, Bailey. Through it all, we have always promised: it's just you and me.

For an early Valentine's dinner, we went back to The Woodlands Mall, specifically Dillard's. I wanted to look around and get out of the house. We had planned reservations at Fleming's Steakhouse on the Waterway. We got there early, ordered, and ate. Typical Amber—saw someone she knew and had to say hi.

I told him to put the leftovers in the truck, then we could walk along the Waterway. I had known from very early on that I wanted to marry Arland. He was everything I never knew I always wanted (as Matthew Perry said in Fools Rush In). I often told him how much I wanted to marry him. Two years, one month, and two days later, right across from where we first met, Arland got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. As a man of few words, there wasn't an abundance of flowery speech—just great timing.

That was Yes Day: February 10, 2024.

A&A

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