The Fourth of July holiday will never be the same for one Sequatchie County couple.

Let freedom ring. Or in this case, wedding bells.

“He actually told me that he was going to help my sister put a float together that was going to be in the parade so he ran off and left me. I had to watch the whole parade by myself and I was so mad at him,” said Melissa Gaston.

But that anger didn’t last long. With a banner in tow, her boyfriend Bobby Turner got down one on knee.

Turner says when he proposed, he knew he wanted both families there. So with the help of Gaston’s sister, Becky, they got the whole family together at the Dunlap Parade.

“I’m so surprised and shocked. I had no idea. He did really good at keeping it a surprise,” said Gaston.

We asked Turner if it was pretty difficult keeping the proposal a secret from his girlfriend of one and a half years.

“It wasn’t real bad. I just kind of played dumb like I always do,” chuckles Turner.

Their love story spans back decades. You see, they’ve had history since the third grade.

“Actually, he broke up with me in the third grade. So I guess he’s redeemed himself now,” said Gaston.

But regardless of their childhood history, Turner and Gaston are excited to move forward as they take the first steps towards being husband and wife.

“She’s been there with me through everything. I mean, when I get stressed out she’s there to calm me down and we balance between each other,” said Turner.

Turner and Gaston say they plan to marry in Jamaica in 201