Some love stories are written in big, bold moments.

Ours was written in the small ones — a message on MSN, a smirk by the lockers, and a lot of laughter along the way.

Stephanie and Ryan first met in elementary school, trading messages on MSN Messenger.

Through the years, they moved through the same circles, attended the same parties, and knew all the same people — but were never more than a casual "hi" in the halls.

In high school at Stratford Central, fate kept putting them side by side — from Grade 9 science class, travelling together for soccer, to two years of neighbouring lockers despite being assigned alphabetically by last name.

Stephanie, the social and always-laughing force of nature, would often catch Ryan quietly chuckling at her antics. They shared funny moments, like the infamous Grade 10 Literacy Test, when Ryan walked in (a year after his scheduled test), sat beside Stephanie and earned her deadpan, "Why are you here?" ... some things never change.

Yet, despite all the near-misses, their paths never quite crossed.

While Ryan travelled the world with his best friend, Stephanie stayed local, fully embracing small-town life.

Even when they both ended up in London for school, they somehow never connected. Life, it seemed, had its own timing.

In 2018, everything changed.

Ryan moved back to Stratford and started working at Boston Pizza — where Stephanie was already part of the crew. Nights out, last-call drinks, and chauffeuring Stephanie around became the norm.

Stephanie was living with Deirdre Slattery — her former coach turned best friend and chosen family — who, every time Ryan showed up, would say, "You're going to marry Ryan Butler."

Stephanie, of course, rolled her eyes and insisted, "We're just friends!"

Ryan’s Dad, Martin, also saw it — often saying, "If I could pick anyone in the world for Ryan, it would be you."

Life moved forward. The pandemic slowed everything down. And still, Stephanie and Ryan stayed close enough for something to grow.

Then one night, a simple catch-up at Bentley’s changed everything.

Stephanie, running on vibes (very late), got a text from Ryan:

"If you're not coming, I'm heading home soon!" (Rude.)

But when she finally walked in, it felt like a scene straight out of a movie.

Stephanie half-joked, "Ew, is this a date?" Ryan laughed. But by the end of the night, something between them had quietly shifted.

The truth is, it had always been there.

Their story is built on years of friendship, side glances, inside jokes, and the steady pull of two lives that were always meant to find their way together.

Best friends, partners in crime, Dolly's parents, and soon, husband and wife — lucky enough to live out the love story they had been writing all along.

S&R