The story begins in a church on Baltimore Street. From her spot on the church balcony, the two shared a look and the rest is history. The two have since shared adventures, accomplishments, and struggles alike being long-distance, navigating a life both together and apart. But a shared determination to work toward each other and a stable future has allowed them to take these next steps, together. In late fall of last year, all milestones between the then and now led the two to a park picnic where Jacob took a knee and asked for Genesis’ hand in marriage surrounded by close friends and family.

And of the in-between, where to begin?

If You Ask Jacob,

“When I met Genesis about eleven years ago at church, my family was new, and we were more acquaintances than anything. I remember a lot of the young people trying to set me and my brothers up, and one time Gen and I happened to sit next to each other. Everyone started cracking jokes, assuming we were trying to get together (sidenote: we weren’t…yet). We actually got mad and said it was never going to happen! But then she started hanging out with my older brother Jason (👎), and there began our friendship.

“…Coincidentally, I started having feelings for Gen right when she was leaving for college in Maine. I knew I wanted to tell her how I felt before she left, but it just wasn’t the right time. That was a difficult summer, knowing I wouldn’t be able to see her anymore. But we grew closer during her first year at Colby, texting and calling whenever we got the chance. I decided to ‘shoot my shot’ one night over a video call and confessed: I loved her. We might have “differing” memories about what happened afterward (I remember she said it back, she disagrees), and when she told me we needed to talk that Sunday morning, I pretended to not know what she was talking about (I knew exactly what she was talking about). I made myself super busy with house chores to avoid the conversation…until it became impossible to ignore. Gen decided she’d be willing to give getting to know each other a shot, but wait until she got back that summer to discuss a long-distance relationship.

“We did just that, but everything changed on the 4th of July (iconic, I know). We’d just gone through a rough patch in spring of 2018—we lost communication during my senior year of high school (yes, she’s older than me) while I was working a ton, getting my bread and all. She’d felt it best to take a break, but my brain didn’t fully understand that and assumed we’d continue as friends. A few awkward weeks go by and, thanks to my persistence, I’d earned back her trust. She agreed to go to prom with me, and it re-sparked us! Back from Maine, we went back to old traditions, going out and watching Marvel movies with my brothers. So, on the 4th of July, and after a day of festivities with my family, Genesis and I were talking when I decided to make my move 2.0. I told her I loved her, but this time things got serious. I talked to her pastor and her parents for their blessing, and on August 19th, 2018, we officially started dating.

“We’ve had ups and downs these past 5 years—Gen and I missed out on a lot while we were apart. There were things I didn’t know about her and things she didn’t know about me! Now that she’s been back for the past 3 years, we’ve working toward these next steps. All I can say is: deciding to get married has been one of the biggest decisions I’ve had to make, but it’s one I’ve never been more confident about.

“ I feel a peace moving forward with her, she makes my days better and makes me a better person. She’s seen me grow more than most, and seeing her be the best person I know she can be has been one of the best things I’ve experienced. Just knowing her and being with her…I love her (a lot). So, on December 2nd, 2023, when I came out the coal mines and proposed to Genesis, we can both agree she said yes.”

If You Ask Genesis,

“I remember the first time I saw Jacob—it was weird! The youth had just gotten back from a trip and gone straight to the church balcony, and when I looked down and immediately locked eyes with Jacob, I was…more concerned that I didn’t recognize him. Jonathan Monday introduced me to his family, who were visitors at the time. I didn’t think much of it until some of the youth decided to tease me and Jacob about dating—if anything, it annoyed us enough that we pulled apart rather than pulling closer together! Years passed and I became good friends with his brother Jason, and we just started hanging out every Sunday with his brothers. That’s how Jacob and I started talking as friends, bonding over our shared friend: Sister Miranda.

“The summer before I left to Maine for college, I was ready to forget everything in Houston, hoping not to return. That’s when our friendship seemed to grow. When hurricane Harvey hit before I was supposed to leave, he said he was happy it delayed my sendoff! I was like 😑. I knew Jacob liked me then, but I didn’t want to catch feelings if I wasn’t coming back—so I tread carefully.

“Once I was at college, we started talking more. For my birthday he recorded a video of himself playing my favorite song by Brett Young: “In Case You Didn’t Know”. I was starting to like him, but was trying to suppress it—it didn’t align with my plans of staying away from home. I knew if we got together, I’d have to get my life right with God. And I didn’t want to do that just because of a boy, it was my journey to make. Then one November night while were on the phone, he just says “I love you” and I was like “okthankyou”—and hung up! After I got ahold of him that morning after church, I told him I felt the same way but was concerned about what long-distance would look like. So, we decided to wait until the summer to consider a relationship.

“Spring semester comes around and Jacob got really busy, but by that time I’d already caught feelings. Things weren’t the same, and I told him I was moving on and got on a plane to Maine. We didn’t talk for a few weeks until he texted me about prom. I told him I’d think about it…eventually, I said yes! That summer, we (me, Jacob, and his brothers) started hanging out again and it was Teahouse and movies every Sunday. While we were rekindling our friendship around this time, I didn’t think anything of his invitation to celebrate the 4th of July with his family. And when he told me he loved me that evening before I left, it’s safe to say I was surprised! I knew we had to do something about it, and Jacob reassured me that he’d talk to my pastor and parents. On a Sunday in August, we officially started dating (you still owe my mom a cow Jacob!).

“Long-distance after that wasn’t easy, but we were able to grow our friendship and know each other better. When I came back from college pursuing a different career than I’d planned, I had to confront issues I was running away from. But Jacob supported me through it all. During all the adjustments to each other’s lives, dating with a purpose and not a ticking time bomb, and my own healing journey, Jacob always fought for me when I wanted to give up. He always believed in us.

“ Last year, we started talking about engagement and each received the support of our parents. I knew Jacob had asked my parents for their blessing that October, but I didn’t know the rest of the details. And as someone who doesn’t like surprises, he calmed me every step of the way.

“So then one day, he told me we were going on a date and to wear his favorite dress. I noticed he was acting weird when he picked me up, so I texted Mitzi “Is it happening??” I didn’t get a response. On our way to the secret location, Jacob went down a wrong, one-way street—which only confused me even more! We eventually arrive at a picnic setup, and the first thing I hear is Melody and Irene laughing behind a tree. I instantly knew then that it was happening. We sat down at the picnic, and Jacob talked about our journey, how I made him happy…and a bunch of other stuff I forgot because adrenaline was running (I couldn’t even eat the charcuterie board they’d made). Then he walked me down along the trees, and the goblins were the first ones to come out. Once I saw Joshua, I lost it bawling! At the end, Jacob got down on one knee, opened the box, and asked, “Will you marry me?” I was like “OMG” and said yes! We celebrated that night, surrounded by close friends and family.

“I feel peace making this decision. Ive always run away from decisions that make me feel butterflies because I don’t like feeling uncomfortable, but Ive always known Jacob was my person. The safety I feel with him is the same safety I feel with my dad. I wouldn’t trade that. He’s been there for every milestone—my rock, my safe space, and my person (for life).”

Y’all have all played major parts in our story and the details in between. Thank you for joining together to celebrate us!

Shoutout to the Prima, Jasmine Granados, for writing our story! We love you Jaz!