Chapter One

The fall semester of 2019 at Ouachita Baptist University had just begun. Hannah had just arrived on campus as an incoming Junior, and Joseph had moved all his things into the freshmen dorm just a few days before, having transferred in from Colin County Community College. When Joseph's childhood friend, a junior at OBU, asked "hey, what are you doing this weekend?" Joseph naturally replied, "I'm a freshman, so...nothing?" Without truly knowing what he'd gotten himself into, he agreed to come along to the beginning-of-the-year Medieval Feast that a group of Trey's then-girlfriend's friends were hosting. It seemed fairly normal at first, and Joseph blended in fairly seamlessly with the group of guys standing around discussing Marvel superheroes. "This isn't so bad," thought Joseph, listening to a bearded man named Kyle expound upon the philosophical implications of SHIELD. Then the door banged open, and a blur of garish blue and red streaked in, shouting in a voice loud enough to wake the dead. Hannah had arrived. Despite Joseph's immediate turtle-like retraction into his metaphorical shell, introductions were swiftly accomplished all the way around, and the events proceeded. An archery tournament was declared, and all those present struggled with the weighted bow, their arrows flying wide from the mark––all those, that is, except Joseph, who had been observing from a distance how every archer shot too high for the low-placed target. Taking the bow, he drew it back, and sent two shots home into the target. Loud cheers of acclimation for this newcomer rang to the skies, and he was asked to kneel, a ring of leaves placed on his head in lieu of laurels. As reward for his prowess, he was asked to sit at the high table––by happenstance, right next to Hannah. Few words were said between them, beyond "please pass the bread" and an excited remark that the dessert Hannah had made was actually edible for the gluten-intolerant Joseph. Nothing more remarkable was said, and they parted ways at the end of the night without a second glance. But from that evening, Joseph was seamlessly pulled into the friend group that Hannah also inhabited, and they spent most evenings in the same place, slowly getting to know each other better and better as the weeks progressed. On Tuesdays, Hannah's path to class in the mornings coincided with Joseph's, and he found himself lingering just to see her smile and wave to him as she disappeared into the Mabee music building. When, a couple months later, he saw her repeated texts asking for someone to bring her lunch in the costume shop, he did what he would do for any friend and obliged. Those lunch runs lead to Joseph sitting in his wheelchair and handsewing yards of trim as they chatted, and Hannah was always ready to jump to his aid if elevators gave out or Chick-fil-a put gluten in his order. By December, they (along with a couple other friends) had begun a Star Wars roleplay. Joseph texted Hannah asking if a particular story idea was worth pursuing, and she has texted him every single day since then. Their friendship grew rapidly, and it wasn't long until they were the best of friends, preferring each other's company to anyone else's. Even when Joseph had to go home midway through the spring semester, they talked for hours every day. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hannah was sent home soon after, but even with four hours of distance between them their love for each other grew deeper (despite much protest to the contrary). On April 23rd, neither could keep silent, and they confessed their love in the midst of uncertainty, a light in the dark that has only grown brighter since.

Four years passed. Though beset with trials on every side, from pandemics to life-threatening illness to distance, Hannah and Joseph clung to the love instilled in them by God, trusting in Him to guide them through every darkness and to the hope of a life together. There was never a doubt that this was forever. Even when Hannah moved to the Dallas area, eventually living only three minutes down the street from Joseph and his family, it was still uncertain when they would be able to begin their marriage, and how long they would have to wait. In God's grace and perfection, He provided a way when none seemed to be found, and with breathless anticipation they began to discuss a timeline until their wedding day. Though Hannah knew Joseph had ordered the ring, he did not reveal when it had arrived. Having already planned a trip down to Austin at the end of July, Hannah rather suspected he would propose while in Austin among her family and friends. He, however, had different ideas. Cynthia, Joseph's mother, took Hannah on an early birthday shopping trip, while Joseph snuck through Hannah's garage to set everything up in the house. Hannah walked through the door to find the house festooned with twinkling fairy lights, and every stuffed friend sitting on the couches. Joseph came around the corner, dressed in the outfit Hannah most loved to see him in, and with barely a word dropped to one knee. No fancy speeches were needed. He asked, and Hannah sank to the floor with him, sobbing so that she could barely answer him. Flinging herself forward, she managed to choke out the words, and he slipped the ring––chosen mere months after they said their first "I love you"s––onto her finger.