They met in high school when they discovered each other in nearly every single class. (J) “I fell sweet on her with each passing period. We ended up really hitting it off, learning a lot about each other walking the school track. It was really refreshing given the norm of 2020.” On December 18th, 2020, they ended up going out, and that’s when the question was popped. She said yes immediately, right? WRONG! She played it smart with an answer of “I don’t know,” while her sisters peered over the gate snooping. (S) “I really wanted to go out with this guy, but I was not sure if he was the one. But I gave him a shot, and it was the best decision I ever made.” These two became quite the couple, cruising around town in the bench seats of an old Ford, happy as could be. They began to grow with each other, complementing each weakness with a strength and learning the brighter side of life together, one small moment at a time. Their test of independence came when college entered the picture. Accepted into rival schools in 2022—USF and UCF, respectively—they were long‑distance for years. (J) “It was a real test of living on our own, putting school first, and learning independence. Even though we were two hours away, our weekends were filled with work, school, or something similar. Not to mention, I‑4 is horrific.” It was hard, it took work, and if it was meant to be, it was meant to be. (S) “It was a difficult transition to go from seeing someone every single day to seeing each other once a month. It was not easy.” Time marched on, and this was their life for a big portion of college. This continued until Jacob graduated in mid‑2025 and moved into his career while Sara was finishing her bachelor’s. They became a bit impatient with the time apart, visiting each other multiple times over the course of her last semester. But when both finish lines were finally crossed at the end of 2025, it was bliss as they crossed the starting line of their lives together. Not long after, Jacob began planning a proposal. He started chipping away at the little details she truly wanted out of a proposal. With the permission of both sides of the family—kept in complete secrecy—he snuck the ring onto a cruise to the Bahamas (quite a story that should be told in person). With Sara’s suspicion dissipated, a formal night just prior, and a scenic night out, it was perfect. She was looking at the water over the back of the boat; he got on his knee and waited for her to turn around. He waited… and wait he did, because Sara was so captivated by the bubbles. After he cleared his throat following a solid minute of waiting, she turned around in astonishment. How could he get it past the love of his life, who is so difficult to surprise? Rigorous planning and passable sleight of hand. (J) “Besides the nerves of the proposal, she is a very difficult woman to surprise. I ran through many scenarios in my head, but pulling it off was nearly euphoric.” (S) “I had a reaction, but I was frozen with the flood of emotions. I became the embodiment of a question bomb.” With a yes (no, there was not an “I don’t know” this time), they began the journey toward marriage. What began in high school has grown into a future they can’t wait to step into together.