To have and to hold

We first met at NC State while we were both involved in theatre. Our paths crossed during rehearsals and backstage moments, but only briefly. We remembered each other, but that was about it at the time. A few years later, after Carson moved back to Charlotte to teach, we reconnected. It started as two people looking for familiar company in a new phase of life. We went bowling, saw movies, wandered through museums, and checked out local festivals. We kept calling it hanging out, even though it slowly became obvious to everyone around us that it was more than that. We were both convinced the other didn’t feel the same, so we stayed in that in‑between space for a while. Everything shifted on New Year’s Eve. Right after the countdown into January 1, 2023, Hunter leaned in and kissed Carson. That was the moment we finally acknowledged what had been building. Within a week, we officially talked about what we were doing, and Hunter proudly announced that we had defined the relationship (IYKYK). Once we were actually dating, we fell into a routine of morning walks along the Charlotte greenway. It was quiet, simple, and became one of the first places where our relationship felt settled and real. On Valentine’s Day 2026, Hunter brought Carson back to that same stretch of greenway. We stopped at the little free library we always checked. Inside was a hand‑drawn comic Hunter had made about us, telling the story of how things had unfolded from those early walks to the moment we finally admitted we were together. The last page showed something that hadn’t happened yet: Hunter proposing. When Carson looked up, Hunter was already on one knee. The spot where we used to start our mornings became the place where we started the next part of our life together.