Elementary school was where our story first began. We attended Dulce Elementary together for several years and even played soccer on the same little league team. Life pulled us in different directions during middle school, but we found our way back to each other at Escalante High School, with Dante as a freshman and Zoë as a sophomore. Our first reunion happened in class when Dante helped Zoë set up a school account. Later that week, a mutual friend gave Dante Zoë’s number while claiming it was his own. That small mix up led to conversations outside of school and quietly marked the beginning of our story. As high school went on, our connection grew stronger. We shared countless Subway dinners, trips to Pagosa, and moments spent cheering each other on at games. All of it led to graduation and the start of our college years. We attended New Mexico State University together and shared an apartment while working toward our degrees. During this time, we adopted our first dog, Apollo, officially becoming a little family. Two and a half years later, Apollo gained a sibling when we welcomed our weenie dog, Olive. Dante graduated in 2024 and began his career, while Zoë stayed an additional year to complete her degree. That June, Dante planned a weekend getaway to Pagosa Springs for the two of us. We started the evening with dinner at Kip’s Cantina, followed by bar hopping through the streets of Pagosa, laughing and enjoying every moment together. On our way back to the hotel, Dante suggested taking a walk over a bridge across the river. As we reached the bridge, Dante, being the nerd he is, began explaining how a machine was designed. Zoë started walking ahead when Dante jokingly said he had a very important question to ask. Knowing his sense of humor, Zoë brushed it off as another joke. When she turned around, Dante was down on one knee holding a small white box. Zoë immediately started crying and laughing, convinced for a moment that he was still messing with her. Dante was so nervous that he forgot to actually ask the question, and Zoë had to remind him, which made them both laugh before he finally asked her to marry him. Afterward, we walked down to the river where Zoë excitedly asked about every detail, including how long he had been planning and when he asked her parents for their blessing. It was a moment filled with love, laughter, and happy tears, one we will never forget. The next morning, we called our family and friends to share the news. In October 2025, we took another major step and purchased our first home together. Wanting to be closer to family, we moved back home to Chama, New Mexico, where we began settling into this next chapter of our lives. Zoë is now working as a teacher, while Dante is working as a structural engineer. After Zoë graduated, our family grew once more with the addition of our dog, Cash. Now, as we plan our wedding and look ahead to the future, we are so excited to celebrate our love, our journey, and the life we are building together.