On day 2, Anika got a text from a friend in the Carmelite order: “I had a dream the other day you got engaged…” “That’s weird,” Anika thought as she sat down next to the cute boy she had been eyeing since the airport. He was also a freshman, and despite the butterflies in her stomach, Anika instantly felt at ease around him. The last night of SEEK was a concert, and Anika found that the floor of the concert was just TOO crowded and she just HAD to grab Gabe’s arm. After the next 24 hours of heavy flirting and exploring the city of St. Louis, they discovered a pivotal sign God was giving them that they were meant to be together. Anika lost her father as a junior in high school leading to her growing a deep connection with her faith, and Gabe’s diagnosis and recovery from brain cancer in middle school caused him to make his faith the center of his life. They realized Anika’s dad and Gabe were treated at hospitals right next to each other at the same time! Both families made it a tradition to visit the gelato stand in the children’s hospital; perhaps Gabe and Anika were once in line for gelato at the same time while experiencing their parallel testimonies, 5 years before they met each other. Gabe asked her on a date the next week in CO Springs, halfway between their hometowns. Gabe started their lunch by laying down his feelings - Anika was heading back to school in San Diego soon, and if they were going to be official, it had to be now. She agreed, and they continued on with a magical date. They picked up Anika’s clarinet at a music store, where she serenaded him on the model pianos. They hiked Garden of the Gods, running back to the car to warm up in the backseat (it was freezing!). They played skeeball at a vintage penny arcade with the place to themselves (again, it was freezing). Finally, they drank tea and cuddled at a local café in Old Colorado City. It felt like a movie, a feeling that hasn’t left since. After meeting and falling in love with eachother’s families, they navigated long-distance through calls and virtual movie dates. Spring break brought their first kiss and i-love-yous. One call in March, Gabe slyly snuck in a joke about them being married that led to a summer of planning a life together and picking out a ring. During Thanksgiving, Gabe traveled to Pueblo to ask her mom for her blessing. She planned to tell him to wait - he was 19, a sophomore in college, and he had only met Anika 10 months ago. However, when Gabe asked, his emotions got the best of him. Mrs. Escalera was so taken aback by his display of vulnerability, she changed her mind to say yes. A fog delay in San Diego nearly derailed Gabe’s plan to propose the weekend Anika came home for winter break. One Hail Mary later, she hitched a ride to LAX and flew out at 5:00 am the next day. Gabe let her take a shower and a nap, then took her on a golden hour picnic at McKay Lake. Gabe (the teenage boy) barely ate anything. They took a walk along the lake, and Gabe asked her to find some rocks for him to skip. She heard some suspicious rustling in the bushes (shoutout to our photographer for committing to the bit), then turned around to see Gabe on one knee. He gave a speech with a quivering voice, which Anika barely heard since she was so excited to say yes. Gabe then took her to his church and had the adoration chapel opened just for the two of them to pray. When mass was over, Fr Emanuele performed the ancient Rite of Betrothal and dedicated their relationship to Mary. Both families came together for a dinner, where of course they had to sing Happy Birthday to Gabe's 7-year-old brother. The past year has been amazing, especially after we decided to transfer to Denver schools to spend more time together in person. We are so excited to celebrate with you! You were invited because we see you as someone who will walk with us and for us in this journey, and we are forever grateful for the love we have experienced from you.