Almost eight years ago, an errant tennis ball rolled between us and we met eyes and smiled at one another for the first time. That moment, so innocuous and fleeting, changed our lives forever. Kiana was attending Bartlett High School in Anchorage and I was at Eagle River High School, but that didn’t stop our mutual friends from trying to set us up after that. Multiple people will claim they masterminded the relationship, including Kiana, but I always think back to our first date. It’s funny because I was expecting a casual meal with a new friend, but in retrospect, wearing sweatpants to a sushi restaurant was maybe a little too casual. We talked about our families, friends, and school, shared our aspirations and interests, and before we knew it, three hours had gone by. Even though it felt like minutes, we knew we wanted more time together and now, here we are on the brink of our forever.