We're getting married!

Freshman year was ending at Marietta High School, and summer excitement filled the halls. During first-period gym, Maston used his time to study on the bleachers. A classmate beside him scrolled through Instagram, and when Maston glanced over, he saw a story that read, “Happy 16th Birthday to my best friend!” The photo showed a beautiful girl in a cheerleading uniform holding car keys and smiling brightly. “Who’s that?” Maston asked. His classmate said her name was Addi Lee, a Walton High student he knew through mutual friends. Maston immediately replied, “You’ve got to give me her Instagram or Snapchat because this girl is gorgeous.” At the end of the school day, Maston started Snapchatting Addi and making small talk, waiting for the right moment to ask for her phone number so their conversation could be less surface-level and more intentional. Addi, while she thought Maston was cute, wasn’t very interested in having an actual conversation—especially with a boy from another school who wasn’t on her radar. After a couple of days of Snapchatting back and forth, Addi stopped responding to Maston’s messages. Nevertheless, Maston decided that when she eventually did respond, he would just ask her out—he didn’t want to let the opportunity slip through his fingers. What he didn’t know was that she wouldn’t respond for two weeks. By that time, Maston had given up hope of taking Addi out and believed he had missed his chance. However, when Addi finally responded to his Snapchat, Maston’s hope came back to life. Knowing he couldn’t miss his chance twice, Maston sent her a video and said, “Hey Addi, I know we don’t know each other very well, and we only know of each other through mutual friends, but I think you’re very beautiful and I would love to take you out on a date. Would you give me your phone number so I can call you and formally ask you out?” Caught off guard but intrigued, Addi agreed. They began texting more and planned a date for the following Saturday—mini-golf and dinner at Texas Roadhouse. On Saturday, May 11th, Addi’s heart raced as she got ready with one of her friends for the date. Maston, equally excited and nervous, drove over to her house and knocked on the door. Addi’s friend opened it and started playfully grilling him with questions while Addi finished getting ready. When Addi finally walked down the stairs, Maston was stunned—she was even more beautiful in person than he had imagined. Maston greeted Addi with a hug and opened the car door for her before heading to mini-golf. The date was amazing; the conversation flowed effortlessly, and their chemistry was undeniable. They hardly cared about the mini-golf game—they were too busy enjoying each other’s company. After mini-golf, they went to Texas Roadhouse and had even better conversation and more laughter. When dinner ended, neither wanted the night to be over, so they went to see puppies together and stopped by Barnes & Noble to buy a Mother’s Day gift for Maston’s mom. They had more fun than either of them could have imagined and both knew they wanted to see each other again. On the drive back to Addi’s house, they were already planning their next date before the night was even over. Six years later, Maston found himself down on one knee at Old Mill Park in Roswell, asking for Addi’s hand in marriage. Now, going into their senior year of college at the University of Georgia, Maston and Addi know exactly who they want to spend the rest of their lives with. The couple falls harder for each other every day. With Maston preparing for law school and Addi becoming an elementary school teacher, their future is unwritten—but one thing is certain: they’ll face every moment side by side.