It all started freshman year at UC… and, to this day, we still can’t agree on how we actually met. Emily insists it was at a party. Jacob is convinced he slid into her Twitter DMs. The truth? It’s a mystery we may never solve and we’ve accepted that mystery as part of our love story. What we do know is that before anything romantic ever happened, we became friends. Real friends. The kind who laugh at the same things, talk about everything and nothing, and check in on each other. We’d run into each other on campus, hang out here and there, and send the occasional once-in-a-blue-moon text to catch up. There was always something there but we were in no rush to name it. Over time, that friendship turned into a best friendship. (As close as Emily and Jacob would allow anyone to get, anyway.) Fast forward two years, and Emily somehow agreed to move in with Jacob and three of his guy friends (Lucky her, right?) Against all odds, it worked. We spent two years living together, growing up together, and building a bond that felt easy, comfortable, and unbreakable. After graduation, life pulled us in different directions. We went our separate ways, but never really lost touch. In 2021, Emily moved back to Cincinnati and that familiar spark, the one that had been quietly there all along, finally had its moment. Our friendship became something more, and it felt exactly right. Turns out, the best love stories don’t rush. They start with friendship, grow with time, and lead you right back to where you were always meant to be. The rest, as they say, is history.