On June 27, 2023, James received a follow request on Instagram from someone he didn’t know. Her name was Lillie. Intrigued, he immediately texted one of his friends in Alpha Chi, saying, “Some cute Alpha Chi just followed me.” Over the next couple of weeks, James couldn’t stop talking to his roommates about this girl named Lillie, who he thought was absolutely stunning. He tried to think of ways they could meet—or get set up for a date party together.

When classes started in early August, James noticed something surprising: Lillie was in one of his classes! She sat two rows behind him, and James couldn’t help but look over in her direction. Little did he know, Lillie was doing the same thing! Lillie ended up having a crush on James, but she had no idea he already knew who she was. Likewise, James convinced himself that she didn’t actually recognize him and that her Instagram follow was probably accidental. Despite that, he kept talking with his roommates about ways to introduce himself.

Weeks passed, and James’s roommates grew tired of his hesitation. In an attempt to encourage him, James and his roommate Bishop proposed a deal: if James didn’t approach Lillie after class, Bishop would keep the $10 James sent him via Venmo, but if he did approach Lillie, Bishop would send James his money back. Unfortunately for James, Bishop got to keep the money. Finally, James’s roommate Lake decided to say something. Lake was convinced that Lillie had been looking at James in class and was tired of watching James miss opportunities to talk to her.

One day after class, a snow cone truck was parked outside the business building. James, Lake, and their friend Hundon went to grab a treat, only to find that Lillie was there, too. Lake tried his best to nudge James toward her, but James was too nervous to make a move with his friends around. They left without speaking to her.

Later, while hanging out with a fraternity brother whose girlfriend was friends with Lillie, James mentioned that he thought Lillie was cute. To James’s surprise, the girlfriend was on FaceTime at that very moment and heard the confession. When she asked James to name the girl, he refused. But Lake blurted out, “Lillie Fulcher!” Although James begged her not to say anything, it was clear that the secret wouldn’t stay hidden for long.

Soon after, Lillie was out celebrating her birthday with friends when one of them asked, “Do you know who James Hilliard is?” Of course, she did—he was her class crush! When Lillie learned that James thought she was cute, it gave her the idea to spark a little interaction between the two.

On August 28, James posted an Instagram story about one of his favorite artists, Clairo. Lillie, a fan of Clairo as well, liked his story the same day. James was stunned when he saw the notification and immediately texted his roommates for advice on what to do next. He decided to message her, and their conversation quickly revealed that their fraternity and sorority had a party together coming up. They planned to meet there, and when they finally did, they clicked instantly. From that point on, they were inseparable.

On September 21, James and Lillie officially began dating. As their relationship blossomed, they realized that this was something far deeper than a typical college romance. By Thanksgiving, Lillie invited James to join her family in Nashville, where he bonded not only with her but also with her loved ones.

That Christmas, it was James’s turn to introduce Lillie to his family. He invited her to spend part of winter break in Prague, where she met his relatives in the Czech Republic. Their time together solidified their connection, and after graduating from Auburn University in May 2024, they both ended up moving to Nashville to begin the next stages of their life.

On August 7, 2024, James and Lillie’s families planned a joint celebration for James’s birthday. Lillie didn’t realize that the evening would hold a life-changing surprise. After dinner, James pretended they needed to check on his cat due to a concerning text from his roommate. When they arrived to James' apartment, the cat was perfectly fine—but James led Lillie onto the porch, where flowers, photos, and lights were set up. Realizing what was happening, Lillie’s turned around to see James getting down on one knee, asking her to be his wife.

This is the story of James and Lillie—a journey from serendipitous Instagram follows to a lifelong commitment. On September 6, 2025, they will begin the next chapter of their lives together as husband and wife, and the two shall become one.

L&J