Juliet and Josiah's story began in the most unassuming of places—high school hallways. Juliet, tall and graceful, would walk confidently through the crowded corridors, but it was only one person who made her heart skip a beat: Josiah, the only guy taller than her in the entire school. They exchanged glances, subtle and fleeting, but it was enough to etch each other into their memories.

Years passed, and their lives took different paths, yet fate had other plans. After Juliet’s first year at University, they crossed paths again at a local pub in Duncan. Juliet, now more self-assured, spotted Josiah from across the room. With a surge of what she would later call "liquid courage," she walked right up to him. Josiah was taken aback by her boldness, but was also intrigued. To Juliet, this wasn’t just a casual encounter; it was the start of something she couldn’t quite define yet.

The summers that followed were a blur of happiness. Juliet, now playing basketball and working toward her degree in Digital Media at VIU, found herself spending every summer break with Josiah. They were inseparable, their days filled with camping, trips to Tofino, swimming under the summer sun, floating lazily down rivers, and partying like there was no tomorrow. Those moments were carefree, and with each passing summer, their bond grew stronger.

By the last summer, Juliet felt certain they were on the brink of something deeper. She was ready to take the next step, to move from a situation-ship to something more permanent. But Josiah, had other ideas—ones that involved taking his time and letting things unfold naturally.

After that summer, life took them in different directions once more. But the distance made Josiah realize something he hadn’t fully grasped before: he missed her, deeply. He missed her laughter, her presence, the way she made everything feel right. So, he came back, not with grand gestures, but with a simple and heartfelt confession that he couldn’t imagine his life without her.

Fast forward four years and a few hiccups later, Josiah knew it was time. He planned a trip to Long Beach in Tofino, a place that held so much beauty and meaning. On June 30th, 2024, as the waves gently kissed the shore, he wrote “Will you marry me?” in the sand, with sea kelp surrounding it in the shape of a heart, adding two checkboxes, both marked "yes." It was a proposal that perfectly captured their journey—simple, sincere, and full of love.

Juliet looked at the words etched in the sand, she knew without a doubt that her answer had been written in her heart long before that moment. With a smile, she took Josiah’s hand, ready to write the next chapter of their love story together.

Dance