It’s Fall 2021. Wurzbach Farms is hosting a YoungLife/InterVarsity hangout. Everyone is gathered around a bonfire. Soup is being served. Hot dogs are making their rounds. On Abby’s side, she notices a guy picking on her friend — and quickly learns that he’s the Jared. You know, the one rumored to not tip waitresses. Naturally, she and her friends decide they strongly dislike him. Case closed. Never seeing him again seemed ideal. On Jared’s side, he remembers being extremely hungry and boldly being the first one to dig into the giant pot of soup. Mid-ladle, he looks up and sees a girl walking from the house with hot dogs. In his mind: “She must be hosting this. She’s pretty cute… but I’m pretty sure she’s dating someone.” And just like that, they go their separate ways. Abby studies abroad. Jared keeps living his life. Their friend group overlaps, but they never quite connect. Fast forward to February 2023. Abby returns from study abroad newly single and searching for a church to call home. A friend invites her to LCBC on a Monday night. She shows up… and there’s Jared. Jared loves his church. Abby agrees to try it for six weeks before deciding if it’s for her. Not wanting her to feel alone in the process, Jared attends every Monday night gathering with her — even though he already goes on Sundays with his family. Six weeks turned into a home church. And slowly, something else began to feel like home too. They spent Abby’s final semester of college surrounded by friends — late nights at her apartment, constant group hangs, inside jokes, and shared faith. Abby kept trying to find excuses for one-on-one time, but Jared seemed just a little too cool and just a little too oblivious. Until Thanksgiving Eve 2023. After a night out with the girls at Heritage, Jared offered Abby a ride home. What was supposed to be a quick drop-off turned into hours of driving around, talking about everything and nothing. Eventually, he dropped her off at her sister’s house… but something had shifted. Suddenly, Abby found herself becoming a frequent at Heritage (okay, like, two more times), conveniently needing a ride home each time. After the third pickup request, she realized she could just ask Jared to hang out, no bar required. From there, they made every excuse to spend time together. From rock climbing, to dog-sitting, to working from coffee shops together, and late nights after Young Adults Bible Studies. What started as group hangs slowly became intentional time. The conversations got longer. The goodbyes got harder. The excuses ran out. It wasn’t one big, dramatic moment. It was steady. Consistent. Easy. Somewhere between car rides, climbing, coffee refills, and couch conversations, they realized they weren’t just filling time anymore...they were building something real. And once they stopped pretending it was casual, everything else just fell into place. The girl who once “hated” him… And the guy elbows-deep in soup… are now choosing each other, and trusting the Lord with the rest!