We met in Quito at the start of a two-week trip that promoted tropical disease research and community initiatives in Cariamanga, Ecuador. On day one, I walked to breakfast in the hotel lobby crossing paths with a shy, dark-clothed figure who joined a corner table away from the crowds. A week later, we would be sharing our life stories on a rooftop in the setting equatorial sun. The connection was immediate, and the chemistry intense. After carving every last moment out of our long days to be together in the last week, the trip was over - just like that. What we did not know at the time was that the promise we made to see each other "one last time" would turn into promise that would last a lifetime.

For some, special is equated to the extraordinary. For us, it has been the little threads of love, selflessness, and sacrifice that have been weaved into the tapestry of our lives. This magic is often found on a Tuesday morning when Adrian gets up at 6am on his day off to brew me a cup of coffee before I go to work. It is boxed macaroni and cheese on a Thursday night after we get off work to scrap together a little more time to spend with each other before lights out. Our special is found in morning kisses and late nights sharing our wildest hopes and dreams. It is found when we look back on the life we built together with the family we have chosen in the house we made a home. It was in our home one night when we were talking about forever that he looked over at me and said, “Katie, will you spend the rest of your life with me”? I felt tears welling in my eyes. “Are you really asking me? Because if you are, I’m going to cry,” I warned. He dropped to a knee, and on an otherwise unremarkable, unforgettable Wednesday evening, I said “yes.”