Some love stories begin with fireworks — ours began with hallway hellos and quiet resilience.

We met in June 2023 at work, two new faces in new roles, navigating unfamiliar waters. I was settling into a new position as the Executive Assistant, and he had just been hired as the Facilities Manager. From that very first meeting, he says he felt something — a spark, a pull — but life had other plans at the time. We didn’t chase anything more than a passing smile.

By late summer, our lives were quietly unraveling in their own ways and somehow, we found each other right when we needed a safe place to land. What began as friendship quickly grew into something deeper: late-night talks, shared silences, and small moments of healing.

October brought more time together — a work event turned into an entire day of laughter and connection, and even though rumors began to swirl, we insisted we were just friends. We were, mostly. But by November, something had shifted. We started spending real time together.

Through it all, he held onto the idea that he needed time — a full year before starting anything new. So we remained close, even as my feelings deepened. We shared big and small milestones: meeting my family, grieving my uncle’s passing, navigating the hardest and most human parts of life — side by side, even when our hearts weren't fully aligned.

In September 2024, the timing finally seemed right, and we officially began dating. But a month later, fear stepped in, and we parted ways. For three weeks, until Halloween night, when I joined him and his daughter, Brooklynn, for trick-or-treating. That night quietly reopened a door we weren't quite ready to close.

By December, everything changed. He gifted me a symbol of something lasting and asked me to take another chance on love, this time for good. Our first official date came on December 20th.

By spring, we were building a home together, literally and figuratively, moving into our first condo in April 2025.

He proposed on July 26th, during our first weekend getaway — under the stars, during a Ben Rector concert, with a ring and a promise.

Our story isn't perfect. It's honest. It's earned. And it's ours.

J&B

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception