Ashton and Will met back in December of 2018. Ashton was enjoying her senior year at UNCW when a family member of hers met Will at a Brunswick stew party after Thanksgiving that year. That same family member knew she had to do some matchmaking and showed Will a picture of Ashton, which then led to asking for her phone number. This progressed into a meet and greet while Ashton was home for winter break. Naturally, their first date was in a deer stand where Ashton harvested a buck. It was in that moment that Will knew he was in love with this girl. They went on to remain friends for the next few years as Ashton moved around with her job and Will patiently waited...Fast forward to the fall of 2021 when Ashton decided to visit Cascade, VA more frequently to hunt and hang out with her friend Will. Of course things progressed and she finally gave Will a chance in June of 2022 when they officially started dating. Ashton quickly made the decision to move up to Cascade, VA that same summer so they could continue writing their story together.