Close your eyes. Now, imagine with us.

Stone Academy

You’re in 5th grade, the new magnet kid in an elementary school for the arts with classmates who have been going to school with each other their entire lives. You’re painfully shy and it doesn’t help that your only classmates up until this very point have been your brother and sister because, that’s right, you were a homeschooler. You are on your way out to the playground at recess as a sea of 5th graders swarm the area. As you’re mapping out mentally where to begin your 30 minutes of make it or break it social time, you turn to the left and you see…him. Perfectly quaffed Justin Bieber esque hair, Hollister polo, sitting in the VIP gazebo. He’s quiet and cute and he doesn’t know you exist.

10 years later (stick with us here)

You’re 20 years old. You recently moved back from College of Charleston and your friend invites you to a tiny acoustic show at a local coffee shop. All of your friends are away at school so you have nothing better to do. You walk into this crowded, small shop and as you’re planning your early exit you see…her. She’s singing Tori Kelly, and performing like this little shop is Madison Square Garden and there’s just something different about her.

She’s beautiful, she’s light, and she doesn’t know you exist.

1 year later.

You’re sick. We’re talking sick sick, on your back, fever, exhausted and…well, we’ll spare you the rest of the specifics. You’re scrolling through socials to avoid cabin fever and in pops a direct message on Facebook from…wait…5th grade, Hollister polo, perfect eyebrows boy? He starts the convo commenting on your most recent picture wearing a zebra onesie and from there on you don’t stop messaging 24/7 over the next week. It’s the best part of your day seeing his name pop up on your screen because you know you’re about to spar with witty remarks about Disney channel classics, The Office and life in general. (His instagram bio is “I just want to be Jim Halpert” with this we could have just committed eternally then and there). You heal from your sickness and plan on meeting in person that Sunday at church.

That Sunday

There she is…she’s being hugged by a zillion people, everyone is waiting to talk with her. There is no way she is going to make it over to me. What was I thinking? Ok, better just quietly exit, I don’t want….oh god she’s coming over to me. She made me agree to awkwardly dance up to her but I can’t do that?!?! Everyone’s watching us, surely she was joking..oh god there she goes. This girl is fearless..what do I say? What do I do…

SILENCE

Moment later

Did he hear me? Is he in there? I just said hi to him and he’s staring at me with vacant eyes. Oh no…have I been catfished? Dang it I really liked this kid.

“Ok, well…see you later!”

Seconds Later

SAY SOMETHING, ANYTHING C’MON! No….no…she’s gone.

1 year of awkward silence.

Everyone knows I love this girl. Everyone.

Except for her.

Greenville Drive baseball field. All of our friends in one spot who have all agreed to arrange it so that Luke and Katie sit next to each other. Luke taps into his courage and makes Katie laugh and skip (literally). He walks her to her car at the train tracks and asks her to dinner. She agrees.

3 (small) break ups (lol sorry luke) and 4 years of being best friends while getting to date each other later when…

Stone Academy

Quaff haired, perfect eyebrow, holister polo boy takes homeschooled, bright eyed girl back to the playground and asks her to be his wife.

She gets down on her knees to be as close to him as possible and says “hell yes.”

September 11, 2021

You party with them.