A Hike, a Waterfall, and a Spark: February 3

February 3 was one of those crisp winter days that seemed to hold a secret just for us. The air was clear, the kind of cold that wakes you up, and the mountains seemed to hum with quiet energy. Andrew hiked the lower trails at Whitewater Falls, marveling at the natural beauty. As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, he went to the Upper Falls, where the most significant waterfall plunge east of the Mississippi awaited.

For years, Andrew had driven past the signs for Whitewater Falls on his commutes to Western Carolina University, his curiosity piqued but never enough to stop. But on that day, something shifted. Maybe it was the rare free afternoon or the quiet voice urging him to skip the yard work waiting at his Greer home. Whatever it was, Andrew chose adventure—a solo escape into the wild beauty of the mountains that would unknowingly change his life forever.

At the overlook, he stood in awe and reached for his phone, snapping photos that somehow managed to capture the thundering grandeur of the waterfall. He thought sharing the photos might bring a little joy to someone else. As he composed his post, his thoughts turned to Susan. Her recent posts on Facebook about the loss of her mother had caught his attention—words about love, loss, and resilience that mirrored his own feelings after losing his mother just months before.

Andrew wondered how she was doing. She was a classmate whose grief and grace had resonated deeply with him. Little did he know that the connection he felt would soon come to life in a way he couldn’t have imagined.

After his hike, Andrew went to Whiteside Brewing, a place that had become a favorite pit stop on his mountain drives. He settled onto the deck, a smash burger and a cold Hazy IPA before him. It was one of those simple, contented moments. He posted the waterfall photos and photos from his morning run at Swamp Rabbit Trail, adding a casual caption—a tribute to the beauty of the falls and a nod to the local brewery. It felt like any other post, a small reflection of his day.

But not far away, in a cozy cabin nestled in Glenville, Susan scrolled through her feed and stopped in her tracks. There it was: the unmistakable roar of Whitewater Falls in Andrew’s photos, a place she knew intimately. And there he was: a handsome classmate from years past whose adventures now felt like a quiet call.

The post wasn’t just a reminder of places she loved—it felt like a thread tying her world to his. His day at the falls, his choice of Whiteside Brewing, and his thoughtful reflections resonated deeply with her. She felt drawn to the places in his post and the man behind the words.

She commented on the post with curiosity and a dash of sassiness. And Andrew, who had hoped she might, smiled when her name appeared. What began as a lighthearted exchange about hiking and smash burgers quickly became more meaningful. Their conversations flowed easily, two souls connecting over shared memories of the mountains and dreams yet to come.

Looking back, it seemed as though February 3 had been waiting for them all along. A hike, a waterfall, and a simple post became the spark and foundation neither of them could have predicted or written—a love story for the ages after four decades of friendship.