Natalie's Version:
 
On a chilly October day, with autumn's colors painting the world, Brooke shot me a text from work, asking, Hey, can I give this guy I work with your number? He's a sweet guy and he has a daughter. I pondered for a moment before replying, Sure, why not?
 
After weeks of dodging Drew's attempts to connect, fate finally brought us face to face. We chatted all night long, leaving both of us hopeful for another encounter.

In the following weeks, Brooke and I put together a low-key Halloween bash. I couldn't wait to see Drew again.
 
On the day of the party, I waited anxiously for Drew's response to the invite. Finally, he replied with a casual I'll try to make it. I prepared myself for disappointment, but as I pulled into Brooke's mom's house, Drew's car was parked front and center. He tried to act nonchalant, but his grin made me blush. We spent the night playing mystery games and devouring white chicken chili.
 
Fast forward to my birthday in December. Brooke, Alex, Drew, and I gathered for a laid-back game night and dinner. After lots of laughter and good food, Drew popped the question, asking me to be his girlfriend. Though the term made me cringe a bit, I enthusiastically said Absolutely, marking the start of our journey together.
 
A few months later, I had the joy of meeting Drew's daughter, Tyler, who proved to be the sweetest 4-year-old imaginable. Ty quickly won my heart, and I am immensely grateful for the bond we share.
 
And so began our adventure, filled with love, laughter, and the promise of a bright future ahead.
 
 
Drew's Version:
 
So, I was working at the firehouse shelter with Brooke and had been there for about 9 months. She asked me if I wanted to talk to her best friend after they came back from their cruise. I said yeah, thankfully she went ahead and told her I had a kid, and she still agreed to talk to me. So, it went from there; we got each other's numbers, and I asked, Can I get your Snapchat? She didn't use it often, but eventually, she showed her face to me on Snapchat. For me, it was like talking in person— I know that sounds weird. I also had a messed-up Android that confused how the messages were sent, but that's beside the point.
 
I kept trying to take her out on a date to Olive Garden. I know it sounds typical, but that's what I was raised to think of as fancy. She swore she didn't like Olive Garden, so I couldn't ever get her to let me take her out. Instead, she told me to come over to her place. Later, she said she wasn't feeling well, so we rescheduled. A day or two later, we tried again, and she said, You can just come over here. I was okay with that, so I asked, What do you want to eat when I come over? After figuring that out, we settled on Zaxby's. I picked up the food, went to her apartment, knocked on the door, and she came to open it. In my head, I thought, Wow, she's pretty. We went in, and sat on the couch, and it was kind of awkward at first because we were a little shy. She didn't even eat half her food, but we finally broke the ice and started talking. It felt like we just clicked; it was amazing. It was like we never lost things to talk about. Yeah, it was our first time seeing each other, so most people think, Yeah, y'all are getting to know each other, duh, but it was a deep connection, like nothing I'd ever felt before—especially after the loss of my dad. She gave me my smile back and my happiness just in that first night. You can't imagine what it's like today.
 
So, we continued talking and hanging out a couple of nights a week, and Halloween rolled around. Natalie and Brooke asked me if I was coming to their Halloween get-together with their friends, and I was like, Maybe. The day rolled around, and I told Natalie I was just riding around so she wouldn't expect me to be there because I wanted to surprise her. What do you know, she got there, and she was so shocked when she walked through the door. You could just see her face light up because she was shocked I came. It was so amazing to experience that, and now I get to experience it every day forward. This woman lights up my day every day, which is why we are where we are today. I couldn't imagine walking through life without her.

N&D

Wedding Day

Reception