Looking back, we think it all started in high school with flirtatious looks in the hallway, until I (Ethan) nearly made her late for class one day by sneaking up on her while she was re-filling her water bottle (he did make me late for class! - Carley). With a big smile on my face, I scooped her up, backpack and all, and carried her back down the hallway she had just come from. I may have embarrassed her a little and certainly surprised her, but that was the first time I got to see her smile and the moment that started our relationship. Now, you may or may not know that Carley and I separated for a time after we graduated from high school. The short and sweet of it would be that we had to take time to grow individually. Though we had spent a few years apart, we were ultimately able to reconnect and build this beautiful, lifelong relationship together. During the years apart, we stayed in touch off and on. Then, one day, I learned that we both had bought tickets to the same Sleep Token concert in Detroit. I had been looking forward to that show for about seven months, but a week before the concert, I had this gut feeling. I told my brother, Xander, "I'm going to see her there, I just know it." Keep in mind this was a sold-out venue of over 4,000 people. But I could not shake the feeling. On the day of the concert, as Xander and I were walking up to the venue to get in line, I was doing my best to scan the crowd for HER face. We walked past many eager faces excited for the show, when I saw a face that I would recognize anywhere in the world...EMMA, her sister. And I knew right away that if I saw her sister, SHE had to be close by. So without a second thought or a word of warning to my brother, I started walking right towards her sister. And there she was! For the first time in years, we got to see each other and smile at each other. Mine was a smile of pure joy, but I think hers was more out of genuine shock (maybe because I am bald now). Regardless, I leaned in to hug her and told her that I hope she has a great time. She repeated the sentiment but with a good deal of confusion on her face. And Xander missed the whole thing. Later on after the show, Carley and I started texting. I was so excited to have seen her that night and I wanted more time. So I went for it and asked her if she wanted to meet and catch up. Essentially, sparking the start of our relationship. I brought her flowers the following Sunday and we spent the whole day catching up and sharing our experiences over the last couple of years. It was a very nerve-wracking experience for both of us because I made it clear that I still had feelings for her. But before I left that night, we shared an embrace that I will never forget as long as I live. It did not take us too long to see each other again. The following weekend we had a dinner date and have been inseparable ever since. That was in September of 2023. For the next eight or so months we split our time between our two apartments, hers in Grand Rapids and mine in Spring Lake, and sacrificed more than a little sleep to spend time together around busy work and school schedules. Until we ultimately found ourselves in Kalamazoo, engaged, with our three fur babies, and planning our wedding!