"Arise, my friend, my beautiful one, and come!" -Song of Songs 2:10

We met in the Spring of 2011 at Benedictine College. I remember my first impression of him was that he was funny, cute, and rambunctious. We became good friends and did all sorts of silly and fun things at school together. He once said he thought it was classy and pretty when girls wear pearls. Guess who went out and bought her first pair of (fake) pearl earrings the first chance she got? Yes, I had it bad. We talked a lot over the summer, and later that August when we returned to school, we started dating. Peter is such a romantic soul. He took me on a candlelit dance on a roof under the stars, took me to see The Nutcracker ballet together, we had late night phone calls, went stargazing, swing dancing, he wrote me the sweetest letters, sent me flowers...you name it, and he did it. But, in addition to being very focused on school, I was young and immature. I didn't see the amazing thing I had right before me, and we broke up in the Spring of 2012. A few months later, I missed him deeply and tried to rekindle things and reunite. He was not interested, and I was crushed. A few months later, he was the one who tried to give it another chance. I had moved on, as, in my mind, our lives had diverged into separate paths. So, after he graduated in May 2013, I didn't see him again for nine years. He was the only person I dated who I still wondered about years later. And in June 2022, we crossed paths again at a mutual friend's wedding. Beforehand, I had found out that he was going to be there, and so a couple of weeks before the wedding, I reached out to him "just to catch up a little". I was deviously putting feelers out there. The more we talked, the more excited I became to see him. And when we ran into each other before the rehearsal, it was immediate sparks for me. It was nostalgia and novelty at the same time. The whole wedding weekend I felt a gravitation towards him. The more time we spent together, the more time I wished I could have with him. He, however, did not give any hints or signs that he was interested in me. So, at the very end of the weekend, I left feeling hopeful that we'd stay in touch, but I was too chicken to ever put my heart on the line. Well, you can imagine my joy (and surprise) when he called me as I was sitting on my plane, about to take off, to ask if he could come to St. Louis (where I was living at the time) and take me on a date. I guess you can say the rest is history! And "When you know, you know" is definitely true. All the clichés. They're clichés for a reason. Dating Peter has been the most beautiful and joyful time of my life. And, after dating for four months, we got engaged. He is an incredible human being, my best friend, heart of my own heart, and the most beloved and precious soul of my own soul. I love him like I've never loved anyone or anything on this beautiful earth. And I am eternally grateful to God (and Meghan Braz for getting married!) for bringing him back into my life. God's timing is perfect timing. Peter and I unknowingly waited ten years for each other. We were both resolved leading up to our reunion to never settle for anything less than the deepest and most profound love. We knew within the depths of our hearts that it's what we as humans are created for. I'm so happy and thankful that we stuck to our resolve. He is my Evergreen Love.

I went to her dorm room knowing nothing but her name. Her door was propped open, and she was studying at her desk. I nervously knocked at the door. She turned, and her eyes pierced me…my heart skipped a beat. I introduced myself, made some little joke, and she stared without even a hint of a smile. I exited as quickly as I entered, thinking “Yup, I’ve got no chance with that girl.”. But that didn’t last. It couldn’t. I was already hers. She was beautiful, funny, so sweet and so kind. We spent the rest of that semester developing a friendship, sharing laughs and adventures as you only can when you’re so young and free. We kept in contact throughout the summer and when we returned to school, I asked her out. Holding hands walking to class, learning to swing dance, candlelit stargazing in the woods, and so many more moments are memories I still cherish today. Alas, it wasn’t quite right, and she eventually ended it. My poor, young, broken heart. Not only did I lose my girlfriend, but I had also lost my best friend. Months later, Grace attempted to rekindle our relationship but I was too young, too hurt, and too immature for it to happen. Sometime during my senior year, I came to my senses and asked Grace to give us another try. But it just wasn’t the time. The day I graduated would be the last I’d see of Grace for nine years. In June of 2022, Grace and I attended the wedding of a dear friend. I had come into town late and went to the house where a number of old friends were staying, Grace included. As I was greeting friends, I couldn’t help but notice she wasn’t present. After a moment, I left the room, taking a quick peek around to see who else was there. Then a door opened, Grace walked through, and I was 20 years old all over again. My heart skipped a beat. We spent the evening chatting and catching up and I couldn’t help but notice (remember) what a beautiful soul she was. As fate would have it, Grace and I ended up alone at the airport at the end of the weekend. I walked her to her gate and as we hugged and said goodbye, an internal battle was raging: should I risk ruining the weekend and get shot down? Or quietly let her go? As Grace gave not the slightest hint of interest nor showed any reaction to my numerous advances of the weekend, I let her go. I waited as Grace stood in line. As she got on the plane, she turned and waved goodbye. My heart sank as she disappeared from my life once again. I stood there for a long while, thinking of the girl I had loved all those years ago. There at the gate, I called her and told her I just couldn’t let her pass by. If she was willing, I would love to fly out and take her on a date. We were engaged four months later. It was just meant to be. Growing up, I had this idea of a romantic, deep, and true love. The kind of love that, as the years went by, I began to think didn’t exist. And then Grace burst back into my life. It's hard to describe, but it's almost like we always knew it would be each other; as though our souls recognized it, but they just needed to wait. Falling in love with Grace has been the most natural, joyful thing I have ever experienced. I am not sure what God thought I did to deserve such a beautiful spouse, but I'll work everyday to make sure I’m worthy of my Evergreen Love.