Like most opportunities in life, our story begins with a door—not a metaphorical door, but a literal door. En route to AP Capstone and English during sophomore year, Sebastian opened the stairwell door to let Adriana enter the hallway whenever their paths crossed. Such etiquette caught Adriana’s attention, especially considering how shielded Sebastian presented himself in school. Being a gentleman partly motivated Sebastian to open this door, as he wanted to impress this girl who struck him as unique and beautiful. In these classes, however, they rarely interacted until, by fate and proximity of last names, they were seated together for one of the state exams at the end of the year. Noticing the pre-test anxiety in the gorgeous girl whom he had kindly opened the door for, Sebastian shared a cheesy pickup line with Adriana (ask them for the details) that served to lessen her nerves and signal his interest in her as something beyond the occasional door-opening. The joke clearly worked, as Adriana passed her test, and, more importantly, they began a friendship which opened other exciting doors. Adriana took the next bold step, but in a more subtle manner than an explicit pick-up line. She asked Sebastian for “math tutoring” after school. During these tutoring dates, their friendship deepened—not by solving arithmetic, but by finding the answer key to each other. They explored whimsical conversations about their favorite colors, foods, and so on, to navigating nuanced discussions about each other’s past, present, and future. These two destined soulmates conversed, connected, and yes…had their first kiss. That kiss solidified their bounded trajectories, as Sebastian asked Adriana to be his girlfriend on September 7th, 2017 (for the record, Sebastian asked several times before, only to receive rejection…luckily for the marriage proposal, Sebastian only needed to pop the question once). As they experienced the final two years of high school together, Sebastian realized that asking Adriana out had given him something even better: someone who demonstrated unwavering support for his ambitions on and off the court, someone who remained equally committed in striving to improve themselves every single day in and out of the classroom, someone who—through her unconditional love—made him a better man and a better human being. Adriana found herself not only a boyfriend but a best friend, who loved and supported her through highs and lows. Someone with whom she can create and share new and enduring memories. Someone equally as committed and dedicated to becoming the best version of themselves, while enjoying the beauty of a high school romance. Such mutualism remains a defining attribute, one that they both honor and respect to this day. They grew together, laughed together, cried together, and made each other better individuals. This made leaving Miami and moving in together to attend UCF a no-brainer, despite the obvious concerns from family and the challenges that come with such a decision. And yes, we endured such challenges, and challenges will continue to arise. Nothing in life is perfect. But, as the saying goes, “Life is a Matter of Choices,” and choosing each other—every single day—remains the best choice they have made in each other's lives—forever and always.