Our story began at Roseville High School. As I mingled with various friend groups during scheduled lunch periods, I was unaware that a boy saw me amongst the crowd and thought to himself, "how nice it would be to have a friend like her." He proceeded to court me persistently and I didn't understand why. When he decided to take my rejections seriously, I found myself wondering where he went. Despite being complete opposites of each other, we discovered a friendship and love that left a lasting imprint on our hearts, long after we went our separate ways. Like shooting stars that disappear in the blink of an eye, our paths crossed several times throughout the years. When we reunited in 2021, it was clear that our bond was one that neither time nor distance could tear apart.

When we reunited in 2021, our relationship thrived despite living 100 miles away from each other. We spent the weekdays supporting each other via telephone and we gratefully shared weekends bonding over our favorite activities. We were nervous for the certain unknowns ahead of us, but we were resolutely confident in each other and our love. When he left for the Air Force Basic Military Training, we both endured transformative challenges and had to learn how to maintain without having our best friend around. Soon after he regained full phone privileges we spent a 7 hour phone call discussing our relationship, lives, and aspirations. When I asked him what he envisioned for the future, he asked me if I would marry him. I quietly and blissfully answered, yes.