Our story began at work, a full year of secret coffee runs, shared rides home “for safety,” and inside jokes that made everyone else roll their eyes. Every laugh lasted a little longer, every glance carried a promise we weren’t ready to say out loud. Cinco de Mayo became our first real date. We claimed a table on the covered patio of our favorite Mexican restaurant, dreaming of stars, but Texas weather delivered a full-on storm, sheets of rain, flashing lightning, and a parking lot turned river. While others fled, we stayed put, grinning over salt-rimmed Mexican martinis, waving off the worried server with a cheerful “We’re good out here!” Under the roaring tin roof, warm gusts carrying mist, the clink of ice, and the scent of wet pavement and sizzling fajitas, hours disappeared. Knees touching, voices low, we traded stories as thunder rolled and lightning lit the sky. In that wild, perfect storm, friendship caught fire and became love, undeniable, electric, and forever. We’ve been inseparable ever since, and now we can’t wait to start the next chapter with all of you there to celebrate it with us.