Tony and I attended the same high school, associated with some of the same people, saw and knew of each other, but we never had a conversation. We may have said an occasional “Hey” as we passed down the halls of LVHS, but that was the extent of our interaction. Fast forward 31 years to July 26, 2019, and all of that changed. Due to the passing away of our classmates’ mother, we were both back in Lake View at the same time and in the same location to pay our respects. Standing in the backyard full of people on that Friday evening, we spotted each other and shared a quick smile. I didn’t know it at the time, but he had no idea who I was, but was curious to find out. Once he heard someone say my name, he made his way over to my friend and I and greeted me with a “Hi” and a one-armed hug (it was almost like a re-introduction). When he walked away, I commented to my friend that he was still as cute as I remembered with that dimple! Later that night after I returned home, I received a message on Facebook that read: “I don’t want to take up your time, but it was nice seeing you after all these years”. That one message turned into us corresponding back and forth nonstop for the next 5 hours.

From the night of July 26th forward, we communicated every single day and became fast friends. Conversation was just so easy. We joked, laughed, and talked about everything! We quickly learned that we had so much in common. We were so in sync that we had to investigate with our parents to make sure we weren’t related! Over the next couple of months our friendship began to blossom into something much more. According to Tony, he knew from day 1 in the backyard that I was “THE ONE” and would be his wife one day, and he never wavered from that. I, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. It all just seemed too good to be true. . . no arguing, no fighting, no drama. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never did. I was afraid and apprehensive, and kept a wall up as a result. Regardless, in his pursuit of me, he was always patient, kind, consistent, and the perfect gentleman. His actions slowly chipped that wall away and I trustingly gave him my heart. Even though I was skeptical at first, the transition from being friends to becoming a couple was such a natural and effortless progression. There was a mutual love and respect there that was undeniable. Physical attraction was always present, but it was not our foundation. Our connection ran so much deeper than good looks, mere words, or material things. We fell in love from the inside out and we believe that’s one of the many reasons our relationship has been so successful.