we're getting married!

Back in 2015, my middle school basketball team had an away game at Calvary Lutheran. As my team walked out of the locker room, I noticed a cute blonde girl with blue glasses sitting on the stage. I was already nervous about playing Calvary, they always beat us, but now I had to worry about losing in front of her. I don’t remember the score, only that we lost badly, and all I could think about afterward was that girl. A few years later, as a freshman at Lutheran High, I wanted to join a club and make new friends. I ran for student council freshman representative and was thrilled when the results were announced: “Congratulations to your new freshman reps, Rebekah Caston and Cohl Erwin!” During my first meeting the next Tuesday, I noticed a familiar face across the room, the same blonde girl I’d seen back in middle school. When it was time to introduce ourselves, I paid close attention as she said, “Hi! I’m Bekah.” Over the course of freshman year, my crush on Bekah only grew. Sophomore year had me feeling confident. The weeks flew by, and homecoming week arrived. My buddy Tommy, who was dating one of Bekah’s friends, encouraged me to ask her to homecoming. I had never gone on a date before, and the idea of taking Bekah scared me. After some talks with friends, I decided to go for it. The dance went perfectly. We had fun with friends, shared a slow dance, and later ended the night at a campfire and outdoor movie at a friend’s house. I thought this was the start of something more, but after a couple months of texting, I heard Bekah only saw me as a friend. My sophomore confidence took a hit. Later that semester, Covid-19 cut our year short. Classes moved to Zoom, and social life moved to Snapchat. Out of the blue, Bekah texted me, and we snapped back and forth for a week. Hopeful and naive, I thought this meant she finally had feelings for me, but I was wrong again. Junior year returned to in-person school, and after a couple months, masks came off and life felt normal. Around that time, my lifelong best friend Avery asked me to go with him to Molley Wilkins’s birthday party so he could see a crush, though he forgot to mention Bekah would be there. It was awkward at first, but we relaxed as the night went on. After Molley’s birthday, our group kept hanging out, visiting each other’s houses and making late-night trips to Frosty Boy. With prom approaching, I reconsidered my plans. I had originally planned to go with my guy friends, but Avery encouraged me to ask Bekah. After thinking it over, I asked her, telling myself not to get my hopes up. Prom was a lot of fun. Our group’s closeness made everything feel natural, and afterward, at Avery’s house, Bekah leaned her head on my shoulder, and that middle school crush came rushing back. A few months later, on her 17th birthday, I finally asked her out, and she finally said yes. Ever since that day, Bekah and I have been best friends. We both wanted to see each other every day that we could. When we went off to different colleges, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we promised each other we’d do whatever it takes to make it work. That meant I minored in Bek-ology at Ball State every Friday till Monday morning. People called me crazy for taking that drive every weekend, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Bekah has always figured out my surprises, so I wanted our proposal to catch her off guard. After months of deflecting, I planned with a photographer friend to surprise her at a flower field. After Bekah “won” a “contest” for a “free” photoshoot, I spun her around, got on one knee, and asked the most important question of my life. Now we plan and prepare for the most special day of our lives, to commit to each other in front of God and loved ones. I’m so happy our story doesn’t end here, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with the woman I love.