Before I even began working at the school, he already knew of me. Through a mutual friend who worked there at the time, he would ask about me, quietly letting it be known that he was interested. I had never seen him before, though apparently, he had seen me. I brushed it off then, not thinking much of it. Fast forward to my first day at the school. As I was being introduced to the staff, I finally met him, and from that very moment, there was undeniable chemistry. We exchanged a polite handshake and quickly became acquainted. Coincidentally, our classrooms were right next door to each other, teaching the same grade. He taught math, and I taught ELA, which meant we worked closely together from the start. Before long, he found his way into my classroom every single day, always with the simplest excuse, like “I left my pen,” just to see me. He made me smile, and we connected almost effortlessly. Not long after, we spent time together outside of school with a few coworkers for food and drinks. I remember him making sure to save a seat next to him, talking late into the night, and sharing easy laughter. On the ride home, he let me rest my head on his shoulder, and in that moment, I felt safe. From that day on, he became my protector, my partner, and my constant. What began as a quiet curiosity grew into a love neither of us could ignore. And now, we are celebrating that love in paradise, beginning our forever together in Cancun, Mexico.