The first meeting: Angela introduced herself to Cole while she was running for high school Head Girl. Angela boldly said, "Hi, I'm Angela, and I'd like to count on your vote!" Cole said, "Sorry, but I already said I would vote for Anna." And that's how our story begins. The following semester, they had their first class together: AP Art History. Both Cole and Angela thought the other person seemed cool, but each had their own friends. They exchanged pleasantries and perhaps even reviewed flashcards together, but that was the extent of it. The next semester, Cole and Angela were both enrolled in Senior Honors English. This is when Cole started falling for Angela, with her mad literary skills and her cute smile. Cole and Angela completed a project together about "The Lord of the Flies." To this day, Angela has no recollection of the project. Fall of 2012, Angela headed off to college in Iowa, but Cole didn't give up on his chance for love. Every time Angela returned home, Cole would text her. "Hey, you want to grab a cup of coffee?" Conversation was rich and their chats would last for hours. While the relationship stayed platonic for two years, the spark was there (despite Angela convincing herself otherwise!). Winter of 2015, Cole decided to make a move one last time. He told himself this would be his last time trying to convince Angela they had something special. But Angela came into the room determined to make her friendship-only boundaries clear. A tense hug and a nervous order: two hazelnut lattes. Cole sat on the couch, and Angela went to sit on the couch opposite him. "Aren't you going to sit by me?" Cole said. Angela couldn't resist. They talked for hours and hours that day, then the next and the next for five whole years. Until Cole asked another question, "Angela, will you marry me?" He might not have voted for Angela for Head Girl, but he voted for her as his partner in life. And I guess that's better than a high school contest anyway.