Some love stories begin with grand gestures. Ours started in 8th grade with mutual friends, a Facebook friend request, and an endless exchange of pokes back and forth. Before long, we decided to hang out at the neighborhood park. Funny enough, we were neighbors all along. What started as a simple friendship quickly turned into a middle school romance. While our boyfriend-and-girlfriend era only lasted about a month, our connection never really disappeared. As the years went on, we remained friends through high school, though life gradually pulled us in different directions. Then, during our senior year, everything changed. Mason reached out to wish Aitanna a happy 18th birthday and suggested we get together and catch up someday—without knowing she had moved away. The timing didn't work out, and it seemed like another missed opportunity. But fate had other plans. As it turned out, Mason's aunt had recently moved down the street from Aitanna, and Mason's family was planning a Thanksgiving visit. Determined not to miss her chance, Aitanna convinced her mom to let her skip the last day of school before fall break so she could spend the day with Mason. That day, something felt different. The sparks were undeniable. We both knew there was something special between us, but we were young, nervous, and unsure of what it all meant. We convinced ourselves it was simply the story of "the one that got away" and that our timing would never be right. Thankfully, we were wrong. After Thanksgiving, we stayed in touch. One text turned into daily conversations, and before long Mason was planning another trip to visit. Then, on December 9, 2017, we made it official. Since then, we've grown up together and experienced life's biggest milestones side by side. We've celebrated high school graduations, college graduations, survived a pandemic, traveled across states and countries, welcomed the sweetest baby into our lives, and built a life filled with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories. Now, after almost nine years together, we're beginning our greatest adventure yet: We're getting married. And we couldn't be more excited to celebrate this next chapter with all of you. ❤️