If You Ask Lilyana: We first met in November 2019 in 8th grade through a seating chart. From day one, we became friends, chatting and playing games in class. I started to admire Connor for the way he dedicated 30 minutes to dotting a sheet of paper just to play a 10-minute game with me in Science. He was always kind and willing to listen to me talk in class.

One memorable moment was when I attended his 8th grade concert at the last minute; his mom picked me up, and I loved being part of that special event. When the semester changed, I nervously gave him my number for "homework help", and he texted me right after school that day.

We began exchanging good morning and good night texts regularly. On the day COVID-19 led to school closures, I confessed that I had a crush on him. He admitted that while I was a great friend, he didn’t want to start dating until high school. Despite this, we continued to text almost every day, growing closer as friends.

In July that summer, I told him I still had feelings for him, and he mentioned wanting to wait until school started. When high school began, Connor was attending in person while I was online, so we didn’t see each other often. We drifted apart between October and November but reconnected around the holidays. In early January, he asked me to hang out, and not even a week later, he asked my parents for their approval, making our relationship official.

Over the past 3 ½ years, Connor has challenged and encouraged me to pursue my passions. Our friendship has always been our foundation, and it has blossomed into a loving partnership. I thank Emerald specifically for pushing us together, and Kat for giving advice and being the type of wife to Jon as I want to be to Connor.

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