On January 3, 1994, Mike mustered the courage to ask Kathy to be his girlfriend. Well, you know how these 8th-grade romances go – it lasted a grand total of 30 days. Despite that, Kathy and Mike remained best of friends all through high school. Admittedly, they had their moments of liking each other on and off, but the timing was never quite right.

One of their laughable memories: Mike and Kathy went out to dinner and a movie (Kathy thought it was just friends, Mike thought it was a date). Mike walked Kathy to the door, as he had done numerous times after hanging out, and he went in for a kiss! Kathy got flustered and ended up shaking his hand instead. Shortly after that, their paths diverged, leading them down separate roads and causing them to lose touch

However, as fate would have it, in September of 2021, the universe conspired to reunite them. This time their timing was finally right! They quickly realized that the bond they once had was too strong to be forgotten. Although there were 2,000 miles between them now, they decided it was worth it to take a leap and at least give it a shot!

They embarked on a journey of rediscovery, navigating the complexities of a long-distance relationship. Countless hours were spent on video calls, pouring their hearts out, and bridging the gap that had kept them apart for so long. Their love grew stronger with each passing day, as they learned to trust and support each other from afar. The missed opportunities and lost time were overshadowed by the hope and excitement of what the future held.

Three years later, on the exact same day they had started dating three decades ago, Mike decided to seize the moment and propose! The significance of the date was not lost on him; it symbolized the beginning of their love story, and he wanted to mark it with an unforgettable moment.