Kelly and Alex probably don’t exactly remember the first time they met at Brown Middle School. Their new middle school lives were so exciting, and there were so many different things to pay attention to. Their paths certainly crossed at some point on a band trip, in a classroom, or somewhere in the hallway, but neither of them would have noticed. Neither of them could ever have guessed where they would end up - together.

As far as they’re concerned, they officially met sometime in high school. When they tell this to new friends, most respond with something like “Highschool sweethearts! How cute!” - this is not quite the case. Though they fell into similar social circles, worked at Sonic together (she frequently threw ice at him), and spent countless hours around each other at band events, their friendship didn’t really begin until senior year of high school. As it turns out, being two of the only students to go to Texas A&M University from your high school can draw people together. Even then, a romantic relationship was nowhere in their plans, although two lucky (and maybe discerning?) friends bet the two of them that they’d end up in a romantic relationship. Of course, Trenton and Ty won that bet by a mile.

Kelly and Alex ended up in the same dorm for their first year at Texas A&M and learned how to navigate their exciting new lives together. They were often inseparable - maybe a romantic relationship was inevitable. When the fireworks finally got started, they could tell they had something special. They made it official on November 18, 2017, when Alex asked Kelly to be his girlfriend. From that point on, they each dedicated real effort to their relationship that continues to bear fruit to this day. Things were not always easy (they never are), but the two of them always stuck it out and found a way back home. When graduation came around in 2022, they made the big decision to continue their lives together in Austin, Texas.

Austin was full of adventure - early morning hikes, late night concerts, and learning more about each other with every passing day. They adopted Charlie (world’s best dog, if you didn’t know), and he made their new little family complete. The big day finally came on July 28, 2023: after almost six years, Alex asked Kelly to be his wife. He did not have a speech prepared and thought he would do great winging it, and she still said yes! The surprise engagement party that evening was full of all of their closest friends, and they were so proud to demonstrate their new lifelong commitment to their loved ones.

Life has since been a whirlwind - a lot has happened in the intervening year, and there’s no doubt that life’s business will not let up. However, there’s also no doubt that regardless of what happens in their lives, Kelly and Alex are going to weather it together. Their unwavering commitment to mutually-supportive growth, championing the best interest of the other, and pursuing the highest good they can manage will provide a firm foundation for all that life has to bring. They know that the love they have for one another is not as good as it gets - in fact, it’s only the beginning.