Wes and Cici first crossed paths sophomore year when Wes visited Waseca to see his girlfriend in a school play. Sitting right in front of him, Cici was deep in a hilariously bizarre conversation with her friend—the absurdity of the conversation prompted Wes' friend Parker to ask if the girls were okay. Wes, more reserved, quietly took it all in, deciding to keep his commentary to himself. Their next encounter came junior year, when Cici took a friend to Owatonna and stopped by the bagel shop where Parker worked. Coincidentally, Parker came outside to grab dinner being delivered by Wes. When Cici waved, Parker asked Wes if he had met her, Wes in a rush to leave, replied, “No, and I don’t want to.” After that, Cici figured they’d never be friends. They wouldn’t meet again until a church retreat the summer before senior year. With Cici on music team and Wes on Kitchen, their paths rarely crossed—until she interrupted a game of frisbee in the dining hall. Someone asked about her doing a backflip at a past retreat, and without hesitation, she showed off her skills. Wes decided she was pretty cool. Three months later, they reunited at another retreat and started talking more. When someone asked how long they’d known each other, Wes said, “We met at the last TEC.” Cici corrected him with a smile: “Actually, we met two years ago at a play in Waseca.” Surprised, Wes said, “That was you...?” And just like that, the spark was lit—marking the true beginning of their story.