Flashback to the Fall of 2012 when Stephanie began her journey at ISU. She lived on the same dorm floor as Zack’s older brother Nick and they became friends throughout the school year. The summer after, Nick had invited Steph and her friends over for a bonfire one weekend. Zack had been working a shift at Subway the night of the bonfire. When he came home, he joined everybody outside and that was the first time Steph and Zack had met. Little did they know, they both started to form a little crush that very night. Fast forward to the Fall of 2013 where Zack had decided to attend ISU along with Nick and Steph. Zack and Steph lived on the same dorm floor that year, which is what led their friendship to grow from the many floor hangouts, apartment parties, Homecoming tailgates and nights out over the next 4 years. During those many nights out together, Zack reflects saying he was a little flirty on many occasions, but Steph just thought that was how their friendship was. She always found it cute and liked it and him, but didn’t think there was any serious intent behind it. They both love to look back on their times at ISU and reminisce on how they would flirt with each other without the other one realizing.

Their friendship continued well beyond college, as did their secret interests in each other. Zack would often go out to the bars with his brother and friends and many times Steph would join too. Steph and Zack would routinely get alone time with one another sitting at the bar while others played the slots or darts. These moments they shared together created stronger feelings towards each other. In 2022, Zack was celebrating his birthday at Durbin’s and he was not shying away from the tequila and Jolly Rancher shots. Zack was much more forward that night, enough that Steph finally read into it more. Zack continued his flirty mannerisms for the next month or two. Steph needed to be sure it was all real before she began returning the same interest, so she invited her best friend Kristy to join them on a night out and get another opinion. Zack’s intentions were very clear, and from that night on it was more than just a close friendship and they knew that there were some real feelings there. The two took things slow at first to figure out if there was more between them. It wasn’t long until they both knew they were perfect for each other, and they never looked back. Their love has blossomed into the wonderful love story it is today. Neither of them ever would have guessed that 12 years of friendship would have turned into the greatest love story they have ever known.