Anyone familiar with Montreat College knows how incredibly small it is and how everybody knows everybody to some degree. I wish I could remember the first time I officially met Zee, but I think it was one of those situations where you both get to know who each other is through mutual friends. Halfway through my sophomore year at Montreat, we were officially introduced through his best friend and started hanging out some in groups. We also had one class together that semester and worked on homework and a group project together throughout that semester. I remember his light-hearted and calming presence and how much I enjoyed being around him and talking to him. He was a great guy and I really admired him and was thankful for his friendship and steady personality, but never thought anything more than that.

During the fall of my junior year and his senior year, we started to hang out more. He would invite me over for movie and game nights with some of our mutual friends. However, about halfway through the movie, everyone else would always leave and it was just the two of us, I never thought anything of it though. There were many movie nights and Ingles runs to buy snacks throughout that fall semester.

We texted almost every day over Christmas break that year, but I was still so oblivious. I wasn't picking up any of his hints or signals. I truly don't know why I didn't see it in myself or in him, I didn't normally text/hang out with guys like that unless I was interested in them. God was definitely working in my heart and mind during that time, and preparing me to be ready to date Zee all in good time, I just didn't know it yet.

Spring of my Junior year and his Senior year is when things really started to move in our friendship but also the Lord working and humbling my heart. We began hanging out more and more one-on-one and he was becoming one of my best friends. I began to admire him more and more and always wanted to be around him. We started texting each other before we would go to the gym to see if the other was going to be there (clearly I had feelings for him but I was still oblivious). I felt calm and safe with him, I felt like I could be myself and I felt cared for and loved, even though it was just a friendship at the time.

I worked in the Admissions office at Montreat and right after Spring break of my Junior year, my boss got a Husky puppy. She would bring her to the office almost every day since they were working on potty training her and whatnot. Zee always asked me to let him know when the puppy was there so that he could come see her. One day, one of my co-workers, Guido, said to me, "You know he's coming to see you, not the puppy, right?" That same week, one of our mutual friends, Carly, told me that she had been telling Zee to invite me to come hang out with their friend group but she thought he was too shy to ask. These two comments helped me to finally put all the pieces together and see what was abundantly clear but what I had just been too stubborn to see, that Zee had feelings for me, and had for a while.

Over the next few weeks, I pondered and prayed a lot about what I was feeling and what I wanted. I also didn't want to jump to any conclusions based on what other people said because none of it was confirmed by Zee himself. Five days before his graduation, he drove me up the parkway in his Jeep with all the doors off. We hiked up to Craggy Gardens and sat and watched the sunset together. Eventually, he worked up the courage to tell me how he felt about me. I will never forget the last thing he said, "Above all else, I want to be your best friend." That was huge to me. That was one of the things that set him apart. He wanted a foundation built on friendship and the Lord, those were the most important things to him. Not wanting to speak too soon, or say something I didn't fully know to be true yet, I didn't really say anything back to him haha sorry Zee.

It wasn't until about two weeks later that I told him I liked him back and wanted to pursue a relationship with him. We officially started dating on June 24th, 2022, and were long-distance for the first year of our relationship while I finished up school at Montreat and he began working full-time in Charlotte.

After a year of long-distance, I graduated, moved, and got a job in Charlotte so that I could be closer to Zee and we could experience dating in the same city since long distance was all we had known in our dating relationship. We began talking about marriage and the next step in our relationship. Then on March 23rd, 2024, Zee asked me, on top of a mountain, to spend forever with him. That was the easiest and most joyful "yes" of my life.

Zee is truly my best friend in the world and I'm so excited to build a life with him. God has been so kind and faithful throughout our lives and leading us to each other and I will never be able to adequately express the gratitude I have toward him for this sweet gift of love.

Sophomore Year 2019-2020:

The first time I officially met and I talked to Anna Helen was my Jr year of college so around spring time 2020 I met her through my best friend at the time. We had exercise science class together, we did a project together which really spark our friend ship. This was how I first got her phone number.

Back story, I have always known Anna Helen, or seen her around on campus. I had friends that were friends with her. Matter of fact I had a crush on her the first a couple of time when I saw her. But I kept the feeling to myself. I knew in my mind there was no way I was bold enough to talk to her. So I did not really made an effort to. She really stood out, she was tall, had a bright energy, friendly and beautiful. There was no way I can date her, she way out of my league.

Sr Year summer 2021:

We just hung out with friends and as friends. Had a double friends date. Over time we just gotten closer, became really good friends. We stayed connected after the school year ended. That same year we stopped on our way home from spring break to go have lunch with her in her hometown.

Spring Sr year and summer being right around the corner. I made the effort to go see the husky puppy that her boss just got, in the office where she works at that time. Since she would always posted about it, and as for me I love dogs, so I did not hesitate to slide in her Dm's telling her I wanted to come see the puppy. I mean it worked out, I saw the puppy my soccer buddy that also worked in there and plus I got to see her too..

Side note, the same semester, what kinda push our friendship and open Anna Helen eyes was the moment in the book store she had with one of my friends. She was the cupid with the arrow that was needed to sparks in Anna Helen. Carly was the her name, Carly being herself goes and mentioned and throwing hints that I was interested in Anna Helen. Her words saying,"I tell Zee all the time to invite you to come hang with us". And there it was, the word is out.

Even though I wasn't there for the conversation, Carly momentarily after saw me and told me about it. Me being me, still going to see the puppy in the office that day, knowing Anna Helen knows that I was interested in her. Kept it all to myself pretending like I didn't know.

Sr Year 2022:

At this point, I knew I wanted to date her. I mentioned it to my close friends and my mentor at that time, I vaguely remember asking him, " Do you think its worth to pursue this girl since I am graduating and leaving school and she has another year left. She's beautiful, kind, she loves the lord and she different. He encourage me to keep persistence and take my shot." So with that being said, I took my shot and showing my interest. At this time frame I threw all the sign that I had out there for her to catch but unfortunately she missed all of them. This is 2 weeks before my graduation. Anna Helen and I been chatting back and forth. Had movie nights, texting, went to get food and had some deep conversation one on one in the car.

I remember one of the last week I was at gym. She also came, to the gym. Last thing I texted I believe was asking her if she wanted to hang out. At this point she stopped texting back and I did too for that week. I was like okay I'm done trying to pursue her and my hope was gone. I was stretching on the mat and she comes up to me and ask if I wanted to hang out. The conversation from their shifted drastically. That same week I decided I wanted to take her to Craggy Garden, I took all my doors off and took my Jeep up. My plan all along was to finally tell her all this time I was pursuing her. When we got of there, it was sunset so it was perfect time to confess my crush on her. We talked for a while, I knew at this point there was some type of connections for her to come all the way up. So, in my mind it either was gonna be a hard no or we continue to talk. Finally, I boldly told her I liked her, she was awfully quiet and did not respond how I expected for her to respond. But she did not say no, we both decided to continue and try to see if this long distance would work.

Anna Helen, was there when I got my first job. I started traveling for work, and we made the effort to switch driving back and forth to see each other. And it worked out. She decided 2023, after graduation to moved to Charlotte NC, where I lived leaving her friends and family so that we can be closer. And the rest his history.

ps: first picture we took together on Craggy garden, when I first told her I liked her and she didn't say anything back. May 10th, 2022.