It all started in 2012. Ivellie had just moved to the United States from the Bahamas two months prior and was about to start high school in America that August. At the same time, Recarlens was leaving middle school and preparing to begin high school as well. Both of them ended up attending the same high school and were placed in the same fifth-period class. It was there that Recarlens and Ivellie had their very first encounter. Though they saw each other every day, Ivy and Rec never really spoke. Ivy thought Rec looked mean and unapproachable, while Rec was too shy to initiate a conversation. For Ivy, Rec was just another face in the crowd, and she never saw him in a romantic light. Fast forward to 2015. It was Ivy’s last day of high school, and as she was about to leave the campus, she saw Rec again. For the first time, she noticed that Rec was actually attractive. The moment stuck with her, but nothing came of it at the time. In 2016, when Recarlens was graduating high school, he went viral on Facebook. Ivy came across his posts circulating online, and it reminded her of that fleeting moment the previous year. Acting on impulse, she sent him a friend request. They became friends on Facebook but hardly communicated. Occasionally, Rec would send Ivy simple holiday greetings like “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Thanksgiving,” but their interactions remained minimal. In 2017, Ivy posted a picture on Facebook expressing her gratitude to God. Rec commented on the photo, asking if he could attend church with her. Ivy, excited about the idea of someone joining her at church, immediately sent him an invitation. At the time, she wasn’t looking for a partner; her excitement was purely about the chance to share her faith. Rec attended church with Ivy and, to her delight, gave his life to Christ that very evening. After the service, they had a brief conversation, and in that moment, Ivy had an epiphany. She called one of her best friends later that night and said, “Girl, I met my husband.” Her friend laughed, too stunned to speak, because Ivy had never talked about marriage or finding a husband before. Two weeks later, Rec asked Ivy out for coffee. She turned him down. For Rec, who wasn’t used to pursuing women and was more accustomed to being pursued, Ivy’s rejection felt like a clear sign that she wasn’t interested. He decided not to bother her anymore. Ivy, on the other hand, had her reasons. She wanted to take things slow. Rec was new to his faith, and Ivy didn’t want to become a distraction. She felt it was important for him to first establish his relationship with God before anything else. Things got very awkward between the two. They were not on speaking terms and were constantly running into each other. As much as Ivy tried to avoid running into Rec, they always seemed to end up in the same places, making the situation even more uncomfortable. The two didn’t communicate again until 2019. By then, Rec had grown in his faith and maturity. He reached out to Ivy once more, this time with the intention of courting her.