Way back when is where it all began in Cedar Falls, two small kids named Justice and Carter met in kindergarten at Cedar Falls Elementary. But life had some changes — when Cedar Falls Elementary closed at the end of 1st grade, they were sent to different schools, and their paths changed. Years passed, and the two of them grew up in separate places, making new friends, joining new classes, learning new things — all that comes with childhood. In middle school, their paths crossed again and they reconnected. When junior year of high school rolled around, something changed. Their friendship began to grow into something more. From that moment, their story turned a new page. In 2019 they graduated high school together. Shortly after graduation, they made another big leap—moving in together the summer after finishing school. It was a new adventure, learning how to build a home side by side, navigate challenges, grow closer, create routines, and grow a life together. Through all the ups and downs, they grew closer and closer together. Then, on May 10, 2025, Carter asked Justice the question she had been waiting 7 years for—and Justice said yes. It was the perfect moment in the story they’d been writing together for years. Now, years after that first meeting in kindergarten, they stand ready to begin their next chapter: a life together as partners for everything yet to come.