In February 2025, five words opened an unexpected chapter: “It never hurts to ask.” Charlie’s mom texted Tiffany the Layton family motto along with a simple question—would she be interested in meeting Charlie? Deciding there wasn’t much to lose, Tiffany gave the green light for her number to be passed along. Just a few hours later, plans were made to meet for coffee later that week. We left that first coffee date with the same quiet thought: this feels different. The second date was pizza and conversation that lasted until chairs were being not-so-discreetly stacked on tables around us. Becoming “the last ones to leave” quickly became our pattern, as we found that time is easy to lose track of when we’re together. Along the way, there were a few encouraging signs. Tiffany’s people kept telling Charlie how wonderful she was. Charlie’s people kept telling Tiffany how wonderful he was. And somehow, both of us were convinced we had gotten the better end of the deal. That still feels true. There were also the smaller moments that unexpectedly mattered more than either of us anticipated—like Charlie making it through countless unofficial interviews from middle and high school students, or the mutual relief of discovering that while Tiffany enjoys running, she prefers to do it alone, and Charlie prefers not to do it at all. By the fall of 2025, the question both of us had quietly been holding finally came out: “Where is this going?” Charlie had patiently been waiting for Tiffany to catch up to where his heart already was. With laughter, relief, and a shared sense of peace, we named the hope for marriage and decided to spend the holidays simply enjoying being together before stepping into engagement. More than anything, our relationship has felt like a gift from the Lord—a chance to experience the steadfast love, kindness, and beauty of Christ through one another. Again and again, we’ve found ourselves grateful that the story God was writing turned out better than anything either of us could have written for ourselves. As we begin this life together, we hope our marriage reflects the kind of love we’ve first received from Christ—selfless, faithful, and full of grace. Through all the joy of this upcoming day, we hope people see not just our love for each other, but a glimpse of Christ’s love for His people. We’re counting down the days till we get to celebrate this special day with our people!