Our story began in a place where many romances don’t—a gym. We were two people who happened to enjoy a bit of shared suffering in a tough conditioning class. Over time, we bonded over our mutual love for country music, and what started as light conversation about our favorite artists gradually turned into deeper chats about life, goals, and everything in between. After about a year, our friendship began to shift—slowly, and a little awkwardly. Neither of us wanted to cross a line or misread the situation, so we tiptoed around our feelings for a while (okay, for three long and slightly painful months). Finally, on St. Patrick’s Day, Charlie worked up the nerve to invite Iitza out for a casual hangout… at a bar… with his buddies. But when she showed up to the Irish pub, she wasn’t just greeted by a few friends—she walked into a family gathering, complete with few of Charlie’s cousins. Nothing like easing into things, right? And somehow, from that night on, everything started to fall into place.