WE’RE MARRIED!

They first crossed paths back in 2005. Both their fathers had recently began working in Beijing, China. Helen spent most of her time playing in the apartment complex courtyard with her brother. Meanwhile, Trevor and his sister, were on their way back to visit their father for the summer. Little did they know, that on the opposite side of the world, in a city of over 21 million people, in an apartment complex boasting a dozen high rises, they would find themselves living just 8 floors apart. Whether it was random chance, luck or even fate — they found themselves a coin flip away from forever. The sibling pairs eventually ended up in the same elevator together. All four of them were content to finish the short ride in an awkward silence as they surely would have if not for Helen’s mother... It was mother’s intuition that brought them together, as she eagerly suggested that the kids meet up later for a play date—some would even say she demanded it. For the rest of the summer the kids would often meet up and adventure together. They would ride bikes, rollerblade, swim and fly kites. They would venture off the courtyard trails, building secret forts in the hidden nooks of the landscaping. It was a summer to remember. Trevor and his sister would return to Michigan a couple months later, but by then the foundation was laid. Helen and Trevor were awkward pen pals for awhile. They e-mailed each other silly questions, life updates, and those dreaded e-mail chains. Those email threads still exist today!   Fast forward over 10 years and Trevor finds himself relocating to Bakersfield, California to begin his career. After settling in, he decides to reach out to Helen. A couple weeks later they meet in Los Angeles to catch up and never looked back. From then on, Trevor would drive 2 hours every Friday after work to see her.   2 years and 8 months later, they were engaged to be married.