The Findey's

She was thirteen years old, sitting in her choir class at Coon Rapids Middle School in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, when the door opened and everything changed. He was fifteen, a sophomore in high school, and neither one of them knew quite how important the other would be in their lives. Around her, classmates whispered and giggled, talking about how cute he was. When they asked what she thought, she shrugged and said he wasn’t her type. It was a lie. Because the truth was, she knew right away. She fell for him in that first moment—quietly, completely, and without any plan to stop it. He was funny without trying, kind in a way that felt natural, smart, and most of all, unafraid to be exactly who he was. There was something about his confidence—soft but steady—that pulled her in before she even understood what love was supposed to feel like. He didn’t see her the same way back then. She was younger, just an eighth grader, and to him she was simply too young. But that didn’t change what she felt; it only taught her patience. From that day on, she admired him from a distance. Once she got to high school, she found him on every social media platform imaginable, finding small ways to start conversations—always online, never in person. If she saw him in the hallway or across the crowd at a football game, she would turn and run the other way, her heart racing too fast to risk being seen. She even found his family online—because of course she did. She had to know who her future mother-in-law might be. Somewhere deep down, she already believed in a future that hadn’t arrived yet. She wrote about him endlessly in the notes app on her phone, documenting every feeling and every hope. She called him her dream partner and told herself they simply weren’t meant to date in high school. She believed, without doubt, that one day—when they were older—he would see that she was the one. He was too focused on school and sports. A day in high school for him started at around 6am and ended at 10pm, so he wasn't too interested in girlfriends at the time. She asked him out six times. And six times, he said no. Still, her feelings never faded. Life slowly found a way to bring them closer. He and her sister, Camille, ended up in acting class together, and through that connection, they finally began spending time together in person. The distance she had hidden behind for years began to disappear, replaced by real conversations, laughter, and moments that felt easy—like they had always been meant to happen. On June 27th, 2020, after years of waiting, hoping, and believing, he asked her out. The moment wasn’t loud or dramatic—but it was everything. It felt like the quiet confirmation of something her heart had known since she was thirteen years old. Like a story that had been unfolding patiently, finally turning the page. From that day on, it was history. What began as a crush in a choir classroom became a love built on time, growth, and unwavering belief. They didn’t rush. They became who they needed to be first. In the years they’ve spent together, they’ve traveled, grown close to each other’s families, moved in together, and become parents to two beautiful dogs. Life with him is easy. After five years of loving each other, on October 12th, 2026, Alex got down on one knee and asked her to marry him—one of the best days of their lives. And now, standing here today, they know that every moment of waiting led them exactly where they were meant to be.