Most romantic films begin with a chance encounter, as if the universe itself orchestrated the meeting of two destined souls. While reality rarely mirrors such perfect serendipity, our love story felt like it was written for the screen.

It was the fall of 2022 when fate brought me to Caroline. During preseason training for Cross Country, I heard a soft, sweet voice behind me say, “Hi, I’m Caroline.” That simple introduction changed everything. Over the next week, we found ourselves drawn together, spending every moment we could in each other’s presence.

By the end of that week, I asked Caroline if she’d take me to Target to grab a few things. When we discovered the store was closed, I refused to let the night slip away. Instead, we ended up at Applebee’s, sharing laughter and stories. On the way back to campus, I slyly snuck in the question “So, that was a date, Right?”

In that moment, we both decided to take a chance on each other. Eighteen months later, she said yes to me again—this time, forever.