Our story began in 2019 during our senior year of high school, with late-night drives, favorite songs, and endless conversations. We were on prom court together, and what started as a sweet high school romance soon became something so much more. After two years of long distance — Maria at Fontbonne University studying Speech-Language Pathology and Adam at Benedictine College for Nursing — we were reunited when Adam returned to St. Louis in 2021. Forest Park became our favorite place for long walks and quiet moments, often with Maria’s Russian Blue cat, Cosmo, waiting at home. In June 2025, at the Jewel Box in Forest Park where we’d shared so many memories, Adam proposed — marking the start of our next chapter together.