Caitlin and Tim first met as teenagers. Their first interaction was in the Woodhaven High School parking lot as students funneled out at the end of the school day – a ritual of insecure teens putting on a show of what they thought was their “coolest” selves. Caitlin was in her brother Seth’s car near the exit, when Tim ran up to put his face to the window, tongue out, hollering something incoherent at Seth…. Pretty cool, eh? He may have only caught a glimpse of Caitlin, but he knew he had to see her again. Exceedingly embarrassed by this first impression, he eventually asked a mutual friend to arrange a more proper meeting, which came in the form of a “friendly” poker game. Just how badly Caitlin beat Tim is hotly debated to this day; however, one thing’s for sure – Tim, full of toxic masculinity, refused to graciously admit defeat, and they didn’t talk again for some time. With that, so they say, the rest is history. Not quite. Obviously, seeing as this is a website dedicated to their wedding, our story doesn’t end there. Tim may have been stubborn, but he was also smitten. They got together after a high school dance. From there, they dated throughout the remainder of Tim’s senior year. Always distant, Tim was terrified by the intensity of his feelings toward Caitlin. He didn’t know how to communicate nor process them. He didn’t even know how to communicate that he didn’t know how to communicate nor process them. Along with a slew of other reasons to do so, Tim ran away. They remained in contact with one another, on and off. They even did that corny thing where they’d both look at the moon when they talked. They told themselves the moon held them close together, but they both knew how painfully far apart they were. They even saw each other in 2016, when they both moved back to Michigan. Neither of them were in a place to be with each other, so they went their separate ways. The rest, so they say, is history. Have you noticed a pattern yet? If I’m anything, I’m a skeptic. As such, it should come as no surprise when I say I’ve always held a certain sort of contempt toward things like ‘fate.’ True to form, though, I must also subject the notions of chance and coincidence to the same degree of scrutiny. I don’t know if things happen for a reason, but sometimes stuff works out so conveniently that I can’t help but be suspicious. Tim had his demons. Caitlin had her fears. Between them, through the years, life prepared them perfectly for one another. It started in the form of a text message. Caitlin “stumbled” upon an article Tim had written about his recovery from substance use and his battles with mental health. She knew something was different this time – in Tim’s words she [heard] the person she always knew was there. So she sent him a text message, wishing him well and congratulating his success. What I do, however, wholeheartedly believe, regardless of reason or purpose, is that when such stuff happens and we so conveniently find said joyous and fulfilling things before us, we’re absolute fools if we don’t capitalize – it may be scary, challenging, and painful, but it’s always worth it. Four weeks later, they walked to a park to sit and read together; although I guess a more precise description is they walked to a park for Caitlin to read. After about an hour, Tim was still yet to turn a single page – he just sat with his eyes closed, reflecting on his feelings. He remembered how so long ago he couldn’t even begin to make sense of these same feelings, and couldn’t help but laugh a little that now it felt so simple. You see, the more accurate explanation of this trip has nothing whatsoever to do with reading. As the sun set, and it was time to leave, Tim took Caitlin by the hand, and told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and asked her to marry him. Naturally, Caitlin kinda blacked out, and stammered out a “yes.” The rest, so they say, is history in the making.