PRELUDE: Finals week. Fried Friday. Family Style. Julian was eating dinner when Alayna sat down and proceeded to eat all of the chicken wings at the table. With mayo. And hot sauce. He was enamored. Instead of talking to her like a normal person, Julian started telling his friend about a *very cool* summer training to Papua New Guinea he had just received. Whether Alayna overheard or just noticed how ethnically ambiguous and handsome he was, she chimed in to congratulate him. They talked until the dining hall closed. Julian, deeply afraid of women, did not ask for her number. BEGINNING: First day of second semester—Julian was asleep before class even started. Alayna walked in, tapped him on the shoulder, and said hi… because she REMEMBERED him. Meanwhile, Julian spent all of winter break thinking about her. They started walking back from class together every day. After learning Julian was spending his weekends solely doing homework and working out in some dirty shed with a mildly homoerotic boys-only “team”, his mother gave him $100 and told him to go on a date. He finally asked her to dinner. And not in King Hall, but out in town. She said yes. RING DANCE: Ring Dance season (basically prom). Julian can only imagine asking one person: Alayna. Alayna can only imagine asking one person: her friend from home, Kate Nolby. Julian asked. Julian was denied. They did not speak for a year and a half. REUNION: Post-grad, they ran into each other at the pool. Alayna smiled and waved. Julian, still heartbroken, swam away as fast as possible. Julian folded and before he left the pool, had to say hi. They ended up making pizza together. CAMPING TRIP: Julian invited Alayna camping. Problems: 1. He didn’t (and still doesn’t) know how to camp 2. It was Hurricane Helene It stormed the entire time, trees were falling down, and Julian built the worst tent of all time. Julian decided that after all that, it would be the perfect moment to ask her to be his girlfriend. Against all logic… She said yes. AFTER ANNAPOLIS: Soon after, they both ended up in Florida for training. Between going to church together, eating a lot of Culvers, making a lot of pizza, trespassing, really cold and poorly planned fishing excursions, line dancing, and many more activities, Alayna and Julian became pretty fond of one another. PROPOSAL: Julian was really hung up on the idea of putting the ring on the end of a fishing pole (inside a fish's mouth), and to have Alayna reel it in. This idea was discouraged by many. God intervened and Julian received the ring months later than he should've. By then it was almost New Years... New Year’s Eve in Nashville came around. Julian speed-walked Alayna across a freezing bridge. Pulled out a ring. And asked her to marry him. She said yes. And they both shortly thereafter got the flu. FUTURE: We’re excited for what’s ahead and hope to glorify God through our marriage and put Him first in everything we do. We can’t wait to celebrate with everyone, and hopefully start our next chapter together in San Diego.