Overlooking the sunset from the balcony of our hotel room in Fort Lauderdale, I asked Jaz to marry me.

We met in 10th grade AP World History at Chaparral High School in Temecula, California. Gabe sat at the front of the room, always ready to antagonize poor Mr. Winger. Jaz sat at a desk clump way in the back, trying not to make it obvious she was staring. Like most 14-year-old crushes, ours was built on awkward silences, hallway glances, and waiting for the other person to make a move. Eventually, Gabe worked up the courage to ask Jaz to coffee. The “date” ended with a painfully awkward one-armed side hug before rushing off to first period—but hey, it was something. Not long after, Gabe’s dad was restationed with the Marines, and his family moved away and we lost touch. Jaz didn't know it at the time, but he had moved to San Francisco, where only three weeks later, Jaz and her family would be spending time on vacation. We missed each other by that much. Over time, phone numbers changed and our lives moved on. Then, three years later, as Jaz finished her first year at UC San Diego, a Snapchat notification popped up during dinner with roommates: “Gabriel Palma would like to connect with you.” Leave it to the internet to reunite old crushes. A few days of catching up turned into hours of texting. Before we knew it, we were falling for each other all over again—only this time, with a little more confidence and a lot more heart. A month later, a rainstorm rolled through La Jolla. Jaz came home from class to find a package on her doorstep: a sweater from Gabe’s closet and a handwritten letter that said, “I love you. I’ll wait for you. I’ll follow you anywhere.” We’ve been following each other ever since. After briefly moving to North Carolina with his dad, Gabe came back to Temecula to be closer while Jaz finished school. Then we moved together across the country to Virginia so Jaz could chase her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor—with Gabe driving every mile (literally), and making new memories in each state we passed through. From high school crushes to long-distance letters, rainstorms, and cross-country moves, our story has been anything but ordinary. And we can’t wait to start the next chapter—with all of you there to witness it.