It all started at Target. January 6th, 2021. Sterling, Virginia. What was supposed to be a casual hangout between “just friends” turned into the first chapter of something much bigger (though we didn’t know it yet). From the beginning, Ben was persistent. Like, really persistent. After that first Target run, we didn’t see each other again until June—but somehow, he kept showing up. With a joke. Every single day. And eventually, Bria started to laugh a little harder than she meant to. At first, Bria had Ben firmly in the “friend zone.” But he was patient. He listened. He made her laugh. Slowly but surely, he won her over—not with grand gestures, but with consistency, kindness, and just the right amount of ridiculousness. Then came the adventures. Chicago, where we wandered like tourists and ate way too much pizza. Myrtle Beach, where we soaked up the sun (and Ben got the worst belly button sunburn of all time). Minneapolis, where we froze our faces off but warmed up to the idea that this might be something real. Somewhere between the road trips, the late-night talks, and the “are we doing this?” moments… we were. We were doing this. (And yes—Bria was the first to say “I love you.” She’ll deny it, but it’s true.) Now here we are—planning a wedding, building a life, and still laughing at the same dumb jokes. It wasn’t love at first sight. It was love that followed friendship, travel, and a whole lot of patience. And honestly? That makes it even better. Better late than never, right?