From my childhood onwards, I have always been a hopeless romantic. I mean, can you blame me? Romance is one of the most profound human experiences we can enjoy. It is scary, exciting, and can either make your heart soar or crumble, sometimes both at the same time. In any case, I have always dreamed of experiencing a true romance or love. I remember when I was a kid and my dad would frequently express his gratitude for having met my mum, describing her as “one in a million”. Seeing this strong union of love, day in and day out, left me in want of my “one in a million”. Of course, the countless books, stories, poems and songs which I made my constant companion only served to engrave that dream in my mind. By the time I was 21, I had already known Hannah for a little over two years. In that time, we were very nearly perfect strangers to one another. Although we were in the same congregation, we had different friends and paths in life. Nonetheless, that changed for good when they switched me to her field service group. I was nervous. Hannah was then, and still is, very, VERY shy, and although it may not seem like it to you, kind reader, I too am painfully shy when making new friends. So, how would these two shy, awkward young strangers become friends? Honestly, I don’t know. But as time passed, and Hannah started to slowly come out of her shell, I began to realize that she was less and less an enigma and more and more a dear friend. Yes, we had more in common than we thought, from music taste to taste in movies and a shared curiosity in literature, but more than that, as I got to see her up close, I could see that Hannah was a very special human being. Not only was she deeply spiritual, but she also cared deeply about others. Now, it is around this time that I first grappled with the emergence of romantic feelings for Hannah; you see- I was faced with the same impossible dilemma that almost every person before and after me has faced - whether to express your feelings to a close friend. It is a great risk. As a chronic over-thinker, I could already imagine the very real possibility of rejection- and worse still, the loss of a friendship. Was it worth the risk? After all, I wasn’t actively LOOKING for a relationship. With a whirlwind of thoughts and scenarios in my mind, one particular thought would come back around, over and over, until it ROARED and I could not ignore it any longer. I remembered my dad. And his “one in a million.” I remembered thinking that although I wasn’t ever going to desperately look for a relationship, I could never pass up MY “one in a million”. The roaring stopped. In the ensuing silence, the answer was clear. I’d found it in Hannah. Dear reader, the time since that day has only served to reinforce that feeling. I took a risk, and much to my delight, Hannah felt the same way about me :) Of course, it is not always so simple, even when two people love one another. Our story has at times resembled a slow burn period piece, and at other times a Shakespearean love story… but in the end, it has been a story all our own. I know now what I want the next chapters to look like, and I know who I want by my side. I know that I want to take care of Hannah every day, and that I want her to feel loved, respected, safe, and happy. I love making her laugh or smile- she has the most beautiful smile that literally makes my heart feel like it’s going to explode. Not very poetic, but it’s true! And when you make her super happy, she has the cutest sunny little eyes! She is drop-dead gorgeous in every way, and more importantly, she has the most precious soul- abounding in sweetness, empathy, kindness, patience, and generosity. She has a strong sense of justice and a wonderful stubbornness that at times, drives me up a wall- but mostly, inspires me to care about things that I would otherwise overlook. She is, in other words, truly my “one in a million”, and I thank Jehovah every day for our love. Thomas

I first met Thomas when he had moved to my congregation in 2019, but because of my very shy nature, we didn’t become friends until he moved to my service group 🙈 When we would hang out in groups, he made me feel super comfortable and at ease. I learned that we had a lot in common we loved a lot of the same movies, books, and music, and we both have a love of rainy days and gardens. As we got to know each other even more, we realized we had the same spiritual goals and that we both want to serve Jehovah as fully as we can. Our love was very gradual- first beginning as friends and then, something more, but I still remember the moment I knew I had fallen hard for Thomas! We were at our Kingdom Hall talking about who knows what and I happened to make him laugh- and I swear I saw a thousand suns in his eyes and I knew I would want to make him so happy that his life would be as sweet as honey and he would smile like that everyday… ☀️ In our courtship, he has made me as happy as that and I know that with Jehovah at the center of our life, we can live a life full of sweet moments forever into the new system. 💞 I’m looking forward to celebrating our wedding with all the family and friends we hold so dear to us, and who have shaped us into the two people we are today! 🥰 Hannah