It was written from the beginning of time—a love story etched into the fabric of eternity, patiently waiting for its moment to unfold. No one would have thought that a hot-headed girl with pigtails would catch the attention of a boy who would change her world forever twelve years later. But he took one look at her and never forgot. They were destined to fall in love, but only when the stars aligned in perfect harmony. How they knew the time had come remains a mystery. Perhaps it was the way the universe hushed for just a second or how their hearts beat in synchrony. The walls that once stood between them began to crumble. Gravity, undeniable and divine, pulled them toward one another with a force neither could resist. It wasn’t just a spark—it was a conviction, sudden and sure, a truth that pulsed louder than any doubt.

Though their hearts aligned effortlessly, their lives hadn’t yet caught up. Their paths crossed for two short weeks, and one night is all it took for 12 years of feelings to start crumbling down. The night was full of dancing and magical purple and blue lights. Though it had been a year since they last saw one another, it was as if they were kids again, laughing and teasing one another as if no time had passed. She was leaning on a wall, catching her breath from all the spinning, when he whispered in her ear, “You look beautiful.” Her world came to a halt. She heard those words a million times, but never did it make her heart beat so fast, never did those words make her knees weak or her head spin. No other romantic words were spoken that night, chemistry spoke louder than any word could. They continued as if they were friends, but even the floor their feet slid across pulled them closer.

The last night before he made his departure was a painful goodbye, yet no one knew why. He wrote her a letter confessing his feelings, but never sent it, and now they were 2,634 miles away, forced to push the feelings away once again. But love, in its quiet wisdom, began its gentle work. Slowly, steadily, their paths bent toward each other like two rivers destined to meet. Their love wove their lives together, not in chaos, but in rhythm—as naturally as cream blends into coffee, creating something rich, warm, and inseparable.

A couple at last:

On April 7, a voice inside would not leave her alone. Images of dancing with him played through her mind, and all of their childhood memories followed. Every time he had cared for her, stood by her, teased her, listened to her, it began to mean more with every passing moment. She could not help but write out how she felt: “I failed, I fell for him,” she wrote. “I couldn't resist him, couldn't deny the love blossoming within me. Imagining a life together, reminiscing about our past, came so easily. And then I realized he was everything I wanted.” It was then she knew, if he ever knew how she felt, it would be the end of the search for a partner. It was him or no one at all.

Little did she know, he was compiling thousands of letters and notes over the course of years confessing his love to her. During the next weeks after confessing her love in her journal, they began to call more frequently. One day, she jokingly said he should bring the whole state of Florida to the March for Life event the organization she worked for was hosting. Implying that it is a struggle to get California citizens to attend such an event. Laughing at her joke, he stated he would represent Florida and fly out for the event.

Not thinking anything of this outlandish idea or taking it seriously, she laughed and said, “Good, you will be my plus one for the dinner.” And that was that. A few weeks passed, and he sent a text, “Can you pick me up on Saturday at 1 p.m.?” Her heart fluttered; she was in disbelief. “He is actually flying across the country for my event..???” she thought. Quickly replying yes, she was in awe. It was the grandest gesture anyone had ever done for her.

As she stepped into the kitchen to tell her parents the news, she broke down in tears, expressing how the boy she’d known for years meant more to her than she ever realized. “I know I’ve said I would never date him a million times, but I was wrong,” she said. Her parents were in shock, they had never seen her so in love. “I tried to push away my feelings because I did not want to put our friendship at jeopardy,” she told them. It was then that they knew that this love was real.

So, April 20, 2024, came around at last. She picked him up from the airport, and after a long overdue hug and some friendly bantering, they confessed their feelings and discussed a future together.

Once they were satisfied with their conclusions, he asked her on a date at 6 p.m. that night. He washed up and got a haircut, and she went home to get all dressed up. He pulled out her chair for her to sit at the Old Spegetti Factory in downtown Sacramento and sat in the train cart. They took turns asking one another questions while pulling things from their past to tease one another with.

The gentleman paid for dinner and escorted her out, opening all her doors along the way. Then they went to the movie theater where their hands touched for the first time. Though neither of them can recall a scene from the movie Godzilla, they both felt as if their hands interlocking was the final missing piece to their relationship. Their hands found their forever home.

It felt so natural to serve alongside him as we set up and cleaned up the Defend Life Dinner the next day and mingled with the attendees during the event. Afterwards, we found ourselves at a park, swinging on the swings, climbing trees, chasing each other on the playground, and in one another's arms, staring into each other's eyes. It is really unknown who went in for the kiss first, but there is suspicion that this was all a part of his plan. Never had she maintained so much eye contact, but when he looked at her, she was empowered. Their lips drew closer and closer, the tension grew tighter and tighter.

The next day, they served side-by-side at the Defend Life Dinner, setting up and mingling with guests. That evening, they found themselves at a park—swinging, climbing trees, chasing each other across the playground. As they sat in each other’s arms, staring into each other’s eyes, their first kiss unfolded, tender and electrifying. Neither one could say who leaned in first, but she suspected it was all part of his plan.

On the day of the March for Life, they were the perfect team. Everyone around them would have thought they had been a couple for years, the way they could read one another's minds and meet one another's every need. It was clear they were going to be a power couple, a force that would serve the world well.

They took a trip to San Francisco before he returned home. She couldn’t stop staring at him while he drove, completely in awe. They walked hand in hand along the shoreline, watching the waves crash, the wind tangling their hair.

That night, goodbye lingered heavy in the air. As they hugged, the weight of knowing he’d leave in the morning was almost too much to bear.

Summer of Love

After a month of agony went by, June arrived and to her surprise, he was back. What was supposed to be a short month of being together turned into the whole summer. They attended an NF concert, and every moment felt deeper.

One night, she scribbled into her journal:

“I’m losing grip of my tongue. When it finally escapes my lips, I fear it will become my only response—endless iterations of ‘I love you.’”

And when the time felt right, she said it—outside a church, giggling, cheeks red. He had accidentally let it slip a few times before, but this time was intentional.

They continued dating all summer. After every outing, they’d go to the park, making it their little tradition.

He was supposed to return to Utah while she headed to college in Arizona. But life had other plans. Unexpectedly, he ended up in Arizona, too, right where she was.

Engagement:

Late one Saturday night in December, the world stood still without warning. What began as a simple evening—a lovely dinner, long and heartfelt conversations, warm cocoa in hand, and a whimsical drive through the glowing Fab 40s—carried the fragrance of something magical. But she didn’t see it coming. She couldn’t have guessed that the boy next door, with his gentle eyes and steady heart, would soon shift the course of her life forever.

As she soared through the sky on a swing, childlike joy bubbling up as she laughed and shared her excitement for the future, something changed. The night, already golden, grew stiller—thicker, as if holding its breath. Then she heard the words that broke through the silence like thunder wrapped in velvet:

“We can take the next steps now.”

Time froze. Her heart thudded in her chest as those words wrapped around her like a prophecy fulfilled. Was she dreaming? Was this truly happening, or had she drifted too high into the clouds of her own hopes? Tears welled up, then fell freely as she collapsed into his arms—his presence the only anchor in that surreal moment. Everything she had prayed for, hoped for, waited for... was now. The boy next door, her quiet constant, had just made her dreams real.

They stepped into a new world after that night—one painted with wonder and longing. But even in love's euphoria, reality lingered. The idea of spending four long months apart felt unbearable, like winter without warmth. They couldn’t imagine doing life at a distance when their souls had already begun building a home within each other.

Elopement:

After months of living just minutes apart, seeing each other daily and building a rhythm that felt like home, the thought of separation became unbearable. The day loomed when she would move to Washington, D.C.—a new chapter filled with ambition, but also the threat of distance. The months leading up had not been easy. They faced trials that tested their patience, deepened their bond, and demanded unwavering resolve. Long-distance felt like a cruel reversal of everything they had fought so hard to nurture. They had tasted the joy of togetherness and knew the cost of being apart.

In late-night conversations and quiet moments filled with unspoken worries, a shared truth emerged: they needed each other, not just emotionally, but practically. Life was expensive, the future uncertain, and the weight of their dreams easier to carry together. Love alone wasn’t enough; they needed to share life fully, daily, honestly.

So, they chose love in its boldest form. On February 28, hand in hand, they stepped into forever. No grand plans, no audience, no second-guessing. Just two souls, fully convinced, surrendering to the certainty they had found in one another. They eloped—bravely, joyfully—into a future they knew was already theirs.

What began as a quiet whisper between stars became a symphony of destiny—unfolding moment by moment, in the soft glow of Christmas lights, in the words that changed everything, and in the decision to start forever sooner rather than later. This was no ordinary love. This was the kind of story heaven had always been writing.