Zach and I both graduated from Centerville High School, me just one year ahead of him, but somehow, our paths never crossed back then. Life had its own timing in mind. In July of 2023, we reconnected on Facebook, and what started as a simple conversation quickly turned into something neither of us expected. By October 2023, we officially began dating. Our first date was at Jimmy’s Italian Restaurant, a place that would quietly become part of our love story. The next two dates? Halloween haunted houses, because nothing says “let’s see where this goes” quite like waiting in long lines and getting scared together. Somewhere between jump scares and hayrides, I realized I was falling in love. On our second date, after waiting nearly two hours in line, Zach turned to me and gently asked if I was ready to go on the hayride. He was completely prepared to walk away without riding if I didn’t want to, even after all that waiting. In that moment, I knew his heart was something special. In July 2025, we took a big step and bought our first home together. Just one month later, on August 2, 2025, Zach asked me to marry him, back at Jimmy’s Italian Restaurant, right where it all began. Zach is a special education teacher with an incredible heart, and he has become the most amazing role model and stepfather to my daughter, Lily. Together, we’ve built a busy, love-filled home with our three dogs: my Shih Tzu, Luna, and Zach’s two English Bulldogs, Ozzy and Zoey. I work as a marketing manager, and no matter how full life gets, we’ve learned that love, patience, and laughter carry us through. What started as a reconnection turned into a forever kind of love, and we can’t wait to celebrate this next chapter surrounded by the people who mean the most to us.