It was just as the world was beginning to breathe again, with COVID restrictions finally lifting. We met outside the Cheesecake Factory, and in a moment that felt both brave and intimate, we agreed to take off our masks. Alex was the first to reveal that unforgettable smile—and just like that, something shifted. The masks came off, and the love alarms turned on. We talked for hours under the soft evening sky, and from that night on, we were inseparable.