... Jacob and Jared’s relationship started the way most modern romances do – on Bumble. They texted for several weeks while getting to know one another from afar, discovering common interests and passions. Jacob took advantage of Jared being in seminary and asked him unanswerable theological questions, and they connected over their shared loves of literature, creative writing, nature, and art. Jacob was seemingly content to have found a long-distance friend tucked away safely in Atlanta, a five-hour drive from Oxford, Mississippi. Jared more quickly understood what was happening – or what could happen if they let it. A few months later, Jared asked if he could visit Oxford “on the business of friendship.” Jacob said no at first, and then he said yes. Jared showed up. They walked around the University of Mississippi campus. They ate dinner at Saint Leo. They watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower and almost held hands. Jared extended his stay an extra day, probably skipping class to do so. After Jared left and drove back to Atlanta, Jacob texted his mom that he might have just met the person he would marry. Jared came back to Oxford the following weekend. He’d sent Jacob a postcard with a piece of a poem: “The number of hours we have together is actually not so large. Please linger near the door uncomfortably instead of just leaving. Please forget your scarf in my life and come back later for it.” Before Jared left Oxford that weekend, Jacob wrapped the postcard in a scarf and hid it in Jared’s bag. The next weekend, Jacob visited Atlanta and met Jared’s band of seminarian friends. Their relationship progressed in this unsustainable but romantic whirlwind of traversing three states almost every weekend. Luckily, Jacob was finishing a master’s program and was already looking to move somewhere bigger. He coincidentally chose Atlanta and told everyone it wasn’t because of Jared (it mostly was). Thus, they spent the next two years working, studying, learning, growing, changing, laughing, crying, trying, and lasting. Sometimes thriving. Jared graduated seminary. Traditions emerged. Rituals were established. Friendships deepened. Futures solidified. Much was uncertain, and some things weren’t. In March of 2023, Jacob and Jared celebrated their second anniversary together in Highlands, North Carolina. On this trip, they decided that they wanted to get engaged, find new jobs, and probably move to Mississippi. By the end of the year, they’d bought a home in Oxford, started working at the University of Mississippi, and proposed to one another on a bench at the Highlands Biological Station, the same bench they’d sat on when they decided, officially, that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with one another. Fast forward. They’ve created a home they sometimes never want to leave. They’ve built garden boxes and tried to turn Mississippi clay into good soil. They’ve combined their book collections into what the New York Times considers to be a respectable personal library. They’ve adopted another cat, this one Jared’s (except when she's being annoying). They’ve hung curtains, fought so much in the process that they didn’t hang any curtains for several months, and then hung more curtains without any issues. They’ve hosted friends, guests, and family, including a Friendsgiving where they didn’t have enough forks for everyone. They’ve recently discovered that crock pots are a godsend. They’re building a life and revising it at the same time, inching closer to the ever-evolving version of living that feels most true and exciting. They can’t wait to become husbands and then see what’s next. They can’t wait to celebrate with you. ...