~March 2022~ Anthea and Fabian met while Anthea was working a summer job at the Exchange convenience store on Fort Bragg. She was a cashier and he was a soldier. They met on Anthea's very first day and their unique interaction was Anthea chasing after the customer before Fabian because they had left their food. Fabian witnessed the whole interaction and asked Anthea, “first day?” From that day on, he would check in on Anthea at the store whenever he was getting his usual pizza and Red Bull. Fabian frequented that location since it was right beside his barracks, and even more so when Anthea started working there. Anthea was only there for two months, but as their conversations grew more frequent, so did the feeling that there was something more. Eventually, the casual conversations eased into plans to hang out outside of the store. It was a Monday and they had picked a Thursday to go on a date, but they ended up spending time together every day leading up to it… and nearly every day after, until Anthea left for grad school the following week. Circumstances weren’t ideal since Anthea would be in Pennsylvania and Fabian was about to leave for Arizona for schooling with the Army, but they both knew there was something special. Looking back, it’s clear that timing wasn’t perfect, but their connection was. From daily check-ins at the store to long-distance Facetime calls and visits across states, Anthea and Fabian’s relationship grew naturally and steadily into the partnership they have today. They may not have planned for it, but sometimes the best things start when you're just picking up pizza and Red Bull.