I first met Dane at the start of the Fall Semester in 2023. I remember standing next to one of our friends, Aidrey, in the elevator after church one Sunday as Dane expressed how beautiful the leaves in the canyon were and how fun it would be to go on a drive to see them.

The way I remember it, I pretty much invited myself to join Dane and Aidrey—but he would say otherwise.

We saw each other around for the next few weeks, but it wasn’t until mid-November that we really started hanging out a lot. We did everything together—playing games, doing polar plunges, talking for hours, and texting frequently. I considered him a really good friend—one of the best I’d ever had. I appreciated how loyal, kind, and considerate he was. I even found myself comparing him to other guys I met, saying things like, “Dane would never do that” or “Dane will treat his future wife and kids so well.” But that was it. I never considered taking things further.

As the months passed, I started to notice that maybe Dane did like me… but he never said anything, so I left things the way they were. The only thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. I had come to cherish our friendship.

In February of 2024, we went on our first date—sushi and roller skating. It was a fun date, but I was nervous about committing and overlooked my feelings. Looking back, we really should’ve just talked things through.

As the school year ended and everyone left for the summer, I stayed in Logan to finish teaching seminary at a local high school. I spent a lot of time alone. During that time, I realized just how much I missed Dane. I found every excuse possible to text and FaceTime him. Every time he picked up, I got excited.

As I reflected during that time alone, I realized I had really messed things up. Dane was an amazing guy, and I had just let him go.

Hope sparked again when I found out that during my summer employment with FSY, Dane and I would have three whole weeks together. This was unheard of—no one ever got three weeks with the same individual. But I’ll tell you this: I was excited.

As summer came and went, I looked forward to every interaction with Dane. We texted every day and called often. My parents and siblings continually asked about him, but I brushed them off. I knew Dane was a great guy, but I wanted to make the decision for myself.

By mid-July, I knew—I had to date Dane. That realization hit me one day as I asked Heavenly Father why my dating life was non-existent (haha). So I decided to patiently wait for the school year to start so I could make my move.

However, when the school year started, I got scared. Everyone was asking questions and making assumptions, and I didn’t know what to do. Well—I did, but I didn’t want to be the one to bring up the conversation with Dane. After about two weeks, I built up the courage and waited to talk to him after church. That night, we spent hours together, and I texted my siblings, Ava and Joel, saying, “We’re going to date.” At this point, we had not even talked about dating yet.

Two days later, on September 10th, after watching a movie and sharing our first kiss, I asked, “So, are you still interested in dating other girls?”

He replied, “Well, no, not really. Actually, not at all.”

I was shocked—hahaha. Then he asked, “What about you?”

I simply said, “I think this has been going on long enough. Let’s just make it official.”

To say the least, the past six-plus months have been the best of my life. Dane is everything I ever hoped for—kind, patient, loving, fun, and (of course) good-looking. I cherish every moment I spend with him, whether it’s grocery shopping, making dinner, doing homework, or going on walks.

I’m a lucky girl! May 2nd is going to be the best day yet. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m so grateful Dane patiently waited—he’s the best!