Happily ever after

 

Michelle was hardly ready to meet the love of her life the day Phil walked into the University of South Florida bookstore cafe where she worked.

 

Clad in a uniform of bright yellow T-shirt, khakis and green baseball cap, she took Phil's order on that hot, summer day in 2008: grande Java Chip Frappuccino. Phil insists she didn't blend the drink well enough; he also insists she flashed him a smile, like she knew this was the start of something big.

 

Six months later, they were dating. A year after that, sharing an apartment, then a townhome, then a house. In that time, Phil graduated from USF - twice, including from its Pharmacy School in 2015. He works as a pharmacist in Bradenton. Michelle got a job at the Tampa Bay Times, where she's now the food editor.

 

After six years, one promise ring and countless adventures, Phil proposed to Michelle at Walt Disney World two weeks before Christmas, one of their favorite places during their favorite time of year.