Mariann and Alex first met in Santa Barbara through a mutual friend, Carlos. Mariann had come to visit him and join in a campus-wide party. It was there, in the garage of Alex’s college house, that fate quietly stepped in. What began as a simple conversation stretched across the entire weekend, filled with a connection, and a spark that neither of them could ignore. After that brief but unforgettable first encounter in April 2017, Mariann and Alex crossed paths again at a banquet in June. This time, the bond between them was undeniable. From that moment on, they spoke every day, growing closer with each conversation. By July 2017, what had begun as a chance meeting had blossomed into something certain, they officially became boyfriend and girlfriend, ready to write the rest of their story together. Since then, they have grown side by side: graduating college, moving across California, chasing their dreams, raising a beloved doggie, and becoming one another’s constant, their safe place in a world that kept changing.