Some love stories are written in the stars. Ours was written by an invisible string, tugging us together from the very beginning.

Zoe and Jake have known each other quite literally since birth. Born just two weeks apart, our families were already intertwined in a beautiful friendship—parents who were close, siblings the same age who played together, and us, two tiny best friends destined to cross paths over and over again.

From shared preschool days at Temple Beth Am to running around the same basketball courts and playgrounds, we were inseparable. But life, as it does, pulled us in different directions. After preschool, our parents lost touch, and we went to different schools—elementary, middle, high school, and even college. Years passed, and the invisible string stretched, weaving its magic in subtle ways.

The string guided us to the same places, even if we didn’t know it. Zoe spent years dancing at the Coral Springs Gymnasium, while Jake played basketball there. Zoe spent her summers at Camp Pinewood’s second session, while Jake always went to the first. Even as life kept us apart, we were unknowingly orbiting around each other.

Then, one day, in our third year of college—Jake at UCF and Zoe at USF—the string finally decided it was time. Zoe’s name popped up on Jake’s Instagram as a suggestion to follow. Curious, he followed her. She followed back. For weeks, Jake kept noticing their shared interests—music, travel, hobbies, and an uncanny number of things in common.

Then Zoe posted a song, Ed Sheeran’s “Take Me Back to London.” That was all it took for Jake to slide into her DMs. One message turned into a conversation, and suddenly, 18 years melted away as if no time had passed. The invisible string that had kept us tethered through all those years finally pulled tight, and we’ve been tangled in love ever since.

Now, after more than five years together, we look back on the baby pictures, Facebook posts, and memories we unknowingly shared and marvel at the beautiful coincidence—or destiny—that brought us back to each other.

The invisible string tied us together from the start, and now, as we celebrate this next chapter, we know it’ll hold us tightly forever.

Happily ever after, 27 years in the making. Let's get married!