The first time we ever hung out wasn’t exactly the stuff of romantic movies unless those movies include awkward silences, fair food, and a chaperone. Yep, my mom dropped us off at the fair. Romantic, right? I was 15 and a sophomore, mind you. Just days away from my 16th birthday, and he was a 17 year old high school senior. He seemed so much older and cooler, which was both exciting and absolutely terrifying. I changed my outfit at least five times before settling on black jean shorts, adidas shoes, and a pink beach crop top. He showed up in jeans with holes in them… and that's all that needs to be said there…. We started off awkwardly, with separate lemonades and fries, and wandered around looking at the animals like two kids who had no idea how to be on a date, probably because we didn’t. At some point, we braved the Ferris wheel. We wouldn’t even look at each other, terrified that if we did, one of us might lean in for a kiss and actually die from embarrassment. Spoiler: we didn’t kiss that day... but I think we held hands, and that was basically our version of an epic rom-com finale. Somehow, in between the lemonade, the nervous laughter, and the way-too-long silences, we both realized something important: we really liked being around each other. Even in all the awkwardness, it just felt right. And now, years later, we're here older, just a little wiser, still slightly awkward, and more in love than ever. We’ve come a long way from separate fries at the fair, and we can’t wait for you to celebrate the next chapter with us.