We met the way a lot of great stories begin—through a mutual friend and a bit of fate. Our good friend Adrianna invited us both to a Friendsgiving, and on Zach’s way there, his car broke down. If it had happened just 30 minutes earlier, he might not have made it at all—and we may have never met. But he did make it. Chloe answered the door, and that was the first time we saw each other’s smile. That night, we sang karaoke together and quickly realized we shared the same sense of humor. While everyone else gathered in another room, we found ourselves talking for hours—bonding over books and getting to know each other in a way that felt effortless. The next day, Zach returned to South Carolina for work, and Chloe went back to her family on Long Island. But distance didn’t slow things down. Over the next couple of months, we talked nearly every day—long FaceTime calls and texts that felt more like essays—as we learned everything we could about each other. On New Year’s Eve, surrounded by the same group of friends who introduced us, we made things official at midnight. From there, our relationship became an adventure. Over the next year, we found ways to be together across the country—visiting each other in New York, South Carolina, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Georgia. Eventually, Zach moved to Decatur, Georgia, and exactly one year after asking Chloe to be his girlfriend, she made the move to join him. A few months later, another opportunity brought Zach to Charleston, South Carolina—and Chloe, without hesitation, packed up her life once again and moved within two weeks. Then, on July 4th, 2025, Zach flew to Long Island to surprise Chloe with a proposal on the beach she grew up near. (Although, as a great detective, Chloe had a strong feeling it was coming the moment he boarded the plane.) Since then, we’ve been building our life together in Charleston, where Zach has continued to expand his business ventures and Chloe has grown in her career as a librarian. We’re looking forward to everything the future holds and are excited for all that life has in store for us.