This isn’t your typical Hallmark love story. You know, the kind where the couple falls in love and lives happily ever after with no worries. This is a real-world love story. One where you meet someone special in college and navigate jobs and career moves that span across multiple states and tiny apartments that are entirely too expensive. The kind of love story where the time and trials faced together make you stronger and bring you closer (except during the pandemic because six feet of distance was mandatory). This is the kind of love story that would make Hallmark jealous. Casey and Alex met at FSU in January 2015. Although they shared a class together, they sat at opposite ends of the room, only sharing the occasional glance. All that changed when they saw each other at a party and Casey made her move. After that, they accompanied each other to Greek Life events, motivated each other at the gym, and developed a sincere friendship -the foundation of any lasting relationship. When Casey drove Alex home at Spring Break to meet his family, they were expecting to meet his new guy friend, “Casey.” But, to their surprise, they met our girl Casey instead. It was the perfect icebreaker. When they returned to FSU, Alex asked Casey to officially be his “girlfriend”. But in true dramatic Hallmark style, Casey said “Really? I feel like we just met”. When she “was ready”, she said “Yes”. Fast forward eight years and they have been inseparable ever since. In those eight years, they graduated from college and moved to NYC so that Alex could accept an incredible career opportunity. They had two weeks to make the move happen. In true Casey and Alex fashion, they immediately flew to NY and found an apartment in one day, a nearly impossible feat. Over the next several years they embraced the NY lifestyle, moving from the Upper East Side to the Financial District, each bouncing from one fast-paced job to another. Then, Covid shut down the city and they found themselves working remotely out of their spacious 350 sqft apartment. As the pandemic worsened, Casey’s cousin offered them a safe haven in The Hamptons and plenty of space to work. (Shout out to Cousin Michael!) A few weeks turned into a few months with no end in sight, putting a damper on their NY dreams. They decided to put their stuff in storage and return to FL, all while continuing to work remotely and splitting time between their parents’ homes. (Shout out to the Moms & Dads!) Casey was called back to work at the NYC office a few months later. Just as Casey had done for him, Alex decided to go back with her so that they could be together. Since they weren’t sure how long they would be there and were used to sharing small spaces, they lived in a tiny hotel room. While Alex worked from their room and Casey was at her office, he would secretly leave at lunchtime to look for engagement rings. After all they had overcome together, he was certain that she was “The One.” They flew back to FL to celebrate Thanksgiving with family. Unbeknownst to Casey, Alex had already planned the proposal of a lifetime. Surrounded by their loved ones, Alex walked Casey to the Intracoastal to allegedly watch a holiday boat parade. When they got there, he dropped to one knee and asked Casey to spend the rest of her life with him. Fighting back tears, her initial response was, “Are you f****g crazy? We don’t even have a place to live and all of our stuff is still in storage!” After her initial shock wore off and she “was ready”, she said, “Yes!”. That is, after all, why we are all here now reading this love story. Returning to FL, they finally found that “place to live” that Casey was worried about and settled into “normal” life as a couple. The trials of a global pandemic, fast-paced careers, and putting together IKEA furniture strengthened their relationship, standing the test of time, hardship, and uncertainty -- proving that this love story is worth its weight in Gold. #CaseyGetsTheGold