Matthew and I grew up going to the same school since we were 6 years old. Matthew's mom coached my twin brother in soccer while my dad coached Matthew and his twin brother in football. Somehow over my Division 1 college soccer experience, my dad tends to make these middle school football games the focus at almost every occasion. Regardless, it's safe to say Matthew and I's families have been interconnected our entire lives. Laughable now, Matthew and I "dated" in middle school. We messaged on AIM, had our parents drop us off at friends houses to hang out, went to school social gatherings, and of course the occasional sneaking out. I remember telling my best friend that I was going to marry him someday. It was true love if you can believe it. But with any good middle school relationship, it faded as we made our way to high school. We remained distant friends but focused on sports and building new relationships. After high school graduation, we went our separate ways. It was nearly 7 years until we would speak again. In the summer of 2017, one of our dearest family friends passed away. He was only our age. Many of our school mates and families gathered to celebrate the life of our beloved friend Connor. A few of us connected after the celebration to recount our favorite memories and mourn the loss of a friend, and it was only then when Matthew and I bumped into one another. We talked and laughed for what seemed like hours. It was instant connection and neither of us wanted to leave. I got a text from Matthew a few days later to grab dinner and the rest is history.