A high school friendship that evolved into a love story. In highschool, Khrystena and Joshua were just friends---but at different schools. They shared inside jokes, and late- night calls about friends, life and college applications. Everyone thought they looked cute together, but they both laughed it off because they were just friends. They each dated other people, pursed different dreams, and after graduation, life swept them in opposite directions. Khrystena went to Mobile for college and was living her best life. Joshua went to college in Tuscaloosa and was enjoying the athlete's life. They kept in touch here and there --- birthday texts, occasional DMs, and the rare call to check in. Years later, both back in Birmingham and being in mutual places, they met again--- older, wiser, and single. It wasn't sparks at first sight, it was something deeper: comfort, understanding, and the kind of laughter that never left. They caught up over conversations, then dinner, then a weekend getaway that neither of them planned. What started as a reunion turned into a realization -- they'd been the one for each other all along. In August 2024, Joshua proposed with a simple question: "So...will you marry me?" And Khrystena, smiling through happy tears, said yes -- to the dance, and to forever.