Our story began at cross country practice in high school. Makayla was already part of the team, and Daniel, wanting to meet new people before starting school that fall, decided to give running a try. On his first day at practice, Makayla introduced herself and told Daniel about a 5k fundraiser the team was hosting. She invited him to sign up to work a booth at the local grocery store to help get people to register. Eager to spend more time with her, Daniel signed up for her shift the next day.

Just five minutes into their two-hour shift, Daniel turned to Makayla and asked, "Would you be interested in going out on a date with me?" Taken aback by the unexpected question—and with an entire hour and fifty-five minutes left of her shift—Makayla, a bit surprised, replied, "Sure, why not" So, they decided there was no time like the present and went bowling the very next day. Being both young awkward and goofy nothing much came of that date and a few weeks later Daniel stopped coming to cross country practice after realizing why running isn't always the most popular sport—yet Daniel wasn’t ready to give up on Makayla.

Throughout high school, Daniel was relentless in his pursuit. He asked Makayla out time and time again, from shopping dates to prom invitations, but she always came up with a reason to say no. Meanwhile, Daniel’s best friend Mike would tease him, driving past Makayla’s house on the way to his own, saying she was “the one that got away.” Thankfully, Daniel never lost hope and little did Makayla know, she was just too blind to see it at the time.

Fast forward four years, Makayla was a senior in high school and Daniel was out in the working world and the pandemic hits. Later into the lockdown as people started reentering the world Daniel invited Makayla to a game of pickup soccer, and this time, she said yes. That game sparked more outings, leading to afternoons of ultimate frisbee, bike rides, and walks at the lake. The summer flew by, filled with laughter and memories, and what began as a carefree season of fun soon turned into something deeper. As Makayla went off to college, both of them realized their bond was too strong for it to be just a summer fling. Daniel told her that he loved her and that he didn't care that she was about to leave for college that he would drive there every weekend if he had to make it work and that's what he did. Four and a half years of one or the other hitting the road almost every weekend to visit the other while they both pursued their dream (speech pathology degree and building a real-estate company).

And so, thanks to Daniel’s unwavering determination, and their love for each other what started as a high school crush turned into a lifetime of forever. He never gave up—and eventually, he got his girl.