We grew up just a few houses apart, met when we were 12, and shared childhoods full of crossed paths—thanks largely to our sisters, who were best friends, and also to our mutual stint in the marching band. Our moms tried to play matchmaker, setting us up for homecoming one year. He didn’t even dance with me that night—ironic, considering we’re now taking dance lessons together.

From early on, it seemed like everyone wanted us to end up together… except me. I wasn’t interested, and definitely wasn’t convinced he was all that cute (even after he hit his growth spurt). Years passed, and somewhere along the way, I stopped pretending not to like him. We didn’t become romantically involved until 2019, but when we did, it felt like the story that had always been written for us was finally beginning.

He proposed in August 2024, and here we are—writing the next chapter of a story that started long before we knew it would be ours.