Imagine the love of your life was in every room you were in, friends with all of your friends, went to the same school in the same grade, but somehow you never bumped into each other. You didn't even know the sound of their voice. Then one day, your paths are brought together and you see this person that you've somehow missed... in all those rooms... beside all your friends... grade-after-grade... The love of your life was right in front of you the whole time.

That's the story of Marlee and Ryan.

Throughout their entire lives up until college, their paths never really crossed. But all other aspects of their lives were intertwined. Marlee's Matron of Honor and lifelong best friend, Peyton Forney, happens to be Ryan's God-Sister. Peyton attended every birthday party of Ryan's and Ryan attended every birthday of Peyton's... Marlee was at all of Peyton's birthday parties too.

Marlee was on the swim team all her life and knew everyone else on the team very well, including Caleb Huizenga and Dmitri Mutchelknaus... who happen to be lifelong friends of Ryan's.

They were in the same grade and went to the same middle school and high school, but never had any classes together. Ryan knew all of Marlee's friends and Marlee knew all of Ryan's friends but somehow they didn't know each other.

Not until a global pandemic sent every college student home. Ryan began spending time with Peyton and Caleb, who were both at home as well. Only this time, Marlee was there too. And their paths finally crossed.

What started out as just a friend-of-a-friend quickly developed into a deep friendship that would expand and grow over the next year and a half and eventually would evolve into an unbreakable love for each other.

They are truly each other's best friend, as all of their friends could attest, and they hate spending anytime apart, even an hour.

They officially started dating on December 3rd, 2021. Twenty years, give or take, after they met the first time. A year and a half after they met the second time.

M&R