I’d guess my closest friends won’t take the time to read this. So if you do, you likely don’t know I’m a closeted romantic. Big fan of the grand gesture and knight saving the princess by slaying the dragon type moment. I thought a lot of what that moment would be for me. Generve and I never really had one. The first time Generve spoke to me was the fall of 2012, in the corner of Peggy’s, on a Saturday night. I assumed she assumed she was talking to someone else. Back in those days, you didn’t speak to a women’s soccer player without being spoken to first. They were the Mean Girls, just rocked cleats instead of pink. Once certain I was in fact the one being addressed, I mumbled a reply. Maybe we danced, maybe we didn’t, but somehow numbers were exchanged before heading our own ways. That night began our journey. Meandering and never dull. Throughout all the moments - big and small, grand and forgetful - she’s been my best friend. 9 years later, here we are, about to be married. I’ve learned a good deal since then, so much of it from her. But most important, perhaps is this. Love is and looks like many things - but no matter what, it has to show up. And Generve, through it all, has showed up for me every single time I’ve needed her. Fairy tales end and movies don’t show what happens after. If you ride the high of a moment, you’re going to be disappointed when it weakens. And I know this, the feelings I have for Generve are too big to be described by a moment, too strong to fade with time. Generve and I don’t have a simple love story, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Thank you to everyone reading this for the role you played in writing it. Our favorite thing is simply spending time with our friends and family, just hanging out with those we love. Thank you in advance for showing up for us, and making this wedding what will certainly be the greatest day of our lives. -John