The Card’s

It all started thanks to Dalton’s mom — who was supposed to just be my photographer, but apparently had much bigger plans. After my session she looked at me and said, “You should go on a date with my son.” So I did… and that simple “why not?” turned out to be the beginning of everything. Our first date was at Chick-fil-A, where we were both equal parts nervous and awkward. We laughed, ate chicken nuggets we were too anxious to finish, and then went to see Twisters. At one point I tried to scoot a little closer to Dalton, and he immediately scooted away — I genuinely thought I terrified him (he promises he was just shy)! As we kept seeing each other, we found ourselves drawn to the same adventures: haunted houses, nights at the lake, and all the little moments in between. But the night everything changed was on the dock at the lake. We sat under the stars, talking softly, the water calm around us. I knew I loved him right then. Later, he told me he felt the same way that night too. We met each other in the hardest seasons of our lives — the kind where everything feels heavy and uncertain. Somehow, instead of running, we held on. He brought light back into me when I thought I’d lost it. And he’ll tell you I did the same for him. We didn’t just fall in love; we helped each other heal. From those awkward Chick-fil-A moments to nights under the stars, our love grew into something steady, soft, and strong. We were exactly what the other needed, exactly when we needed it. And now, we can’t wait to spend forever choosing each other — again and again.