Our story started younger than most. Jacob and I grew up less than five miles apart, but it wasn’t until our eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C. that we truly started to notice each other. From flirting all week, to me DMing his best friend Charlie for Jacob’s number, to texting nonstop and meeting up in the halls between classes—our friendship quickly turned into something more. Soon our parents were driving us to dates and we shared our first dance in eighth grade. We continued dating all through high school and truly grew up together—getting to know each other’s families, going to school dances, cheering at football games, attending his basketball games (including the one where he made the game-winning shot!), and him coming to my swim meets. Weekends were often spent baking cookies at our parents’ houses, going to the movies, and getting caught sneaking a kiss one too many times. Four years flew by, and then came college. We decided to keep our relationship going, even though we’d be five hours apart—me in Louisville, Kentucky, and Jacob in Wooster, Ohio. Those years were definitely challenging, but they made us stronger. I was swimming in college, he was playing golf, and through it all, we learned how to grow both individually and together. After college, we moved back home to Indianapolis and decided to live together downtown off Mass Ave for two years (and yes—Jacob did convince me to get a cat!). Now we’re proud parents to our four-year-old tuxedo cat, Oakland. But as of May 1st, Jacob and I are first time home owners in Broad Ripple, where we are so excited to turn our house into a home together. Since being back home, I’ve been pursuing my dream as a second-grade teacher in the district we grew up in, while Jacob has been building his career, coordinating small-town development projects for HWC Engineering. This past fall, we celebrated our 10-year anniversary just a few days before Jacob proposed at his family’s farm, surrounded by our loved ones. It was the perfect way to mark everything we’ve built together over the last decade. From middle school sweethearts to fiancés, we feel so lucky to have grown side by side and can’t wait for all that’s still to come.