In the fall of 2018, a ballet major and a musical theatre student found themselves crossing paths in the hallways of the University of Cincinnati. David, a freshman beginning his life as a pre-professional dancer, often noticed Joshua from the viewing room above the dance studio. Joshua knew of David through their exchanged head nods in the hallways and the occasional ballet class drop-in. Yet, they never had the chance to talk. That finally changed at the infamous CCM party “white-out black-out”, where they danced together for the first time—though Joshua didn’t expect that David was only around for a good time, not a long one. Through brief encounters at parties, Joshua noticed one night that David was missing and sent a casual DM: “Hey, no party for the dance majors tonight?” David replied, “Everyone’s out of town.” That message began a playful pattern of checking whether “the dance majors” would be out, though it was clear Joshua was really just interested in David. One day, David and Joshua were swiping on Tinder. Coming across one another’s profile they swiped right—It was a match! They never messaged, but it was enough to confirm they found each other cute. They started talking more, but going out was a whole other battle. Joshua asked David out for coffee, lunch, walks around campus, movie nights, anything that would put him and david in the same space— Six times. Six pitches. Six rejections. On the seventh try, with an extra ticket to the national tour of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Joshua asked once more. This time… David said yes! They saw the show, played a game of “Will they? Won’t they?” hold hands in their seats, grabbed ice cream from Buzzed Bull Creamery—and that night quietly began their eight-year journey. From college parties, every restaurant in Cincinnati, David finishing his senior year in New York after Joshua graduated, two national tours, family vacations, a global pandemic, and the addition of their fur baby Percy—their love grew milestone after milestone. At every turn, they chose each other. By 2024, jokes about engagement filled the air. Ring shopping in Soho, imagining a wedding—both felt it was only a matter of time. A week before their first ever European vacation together, David turned feelings into action—it was time. He secretly journeyed to Tiffany’s for the ring they had loved, asked the family for their blessings, and planned the biggest surprise of his life. On September 7, 2024, at the end of a week traveling through Madrid, Barcelona, Nice, and Paris, David rushed Joshua out early to beat the crowds at Pont Neuf—a quiet park in the middle of the Seine. David said, “Hey, we need to talk… Do you love me? Joshua replied “of course.” David returns “How much do you love me?” Chalking this up to David’s usual charm, Joshua was thrown by the sound of camera shutters, turning to look around only to arrive back to find David descending to one knee with a blue box in his hand. Unsure if either one of them actually said anything after that, they find certainty in knowing that in this moment “Oui” and “We” were synonymous. Their love story continues with the advice given to them in 2019: “no matter what happens, you wake up and choose each other.” With that choice, we grow with and love one another as— Forever Lopena-Johnson.