If you are one of our friends from back in the early college days, then you know the irony of how we met versus how we ended up together. In Fall 2009, I started my freshman year at Walters State Community College. I had received a music scholarship from Mrs. Laura Ritter to sing in the WSCC Choir, Women's Chorale, and a small group called "Sensations." This is where Lucas and I first met. He was also there on scholarship. Here's the kicker as I look back on those days... I could not stand him! I thought he was full of himself, and I was mean to him most of the time! He was a year ahead of me, but we had two years at WSCC together. It was towards the end of his time at WSCC that I realized that he was actually a really nice guy. Unfortunately, I had missed any opportunity. He got a full ride to the U of M and moves away to Memphis. A year later, I end up in Johnson City at Milligan. Fast forward 9 years. I'm teaching elementary music in Johnson City, while Luke is living the dream life and performing on cruise ships. THEN, Covid hits his cruise ship in early 2020. He was stuck in a Japanese hospital for 42 days! Once he was settled in back home, I went to visit John and Sarah in Knoxville. Luke was there. We had not seen each other or talked since we went to watch him at the U of M when he played Raul in Phantom of the Opera. We had both changed so much since those days when we were younger. It was no secret that I basically fall for him immediately, but he did not share the same feelings. He was up front and honest with me that he did not want any commitments because he did not know where his acting career would take him. The 4 of us spent a LOT of time together that summer. August comes around and it is time for me to go back to work. Luke came to visit me one weekend, and on August 7th, 2020, he looked at me standing in our kitchen and said, "I want to do this. Everything else we will figure it out as we go." Y'all, that was probably the 3rd best day of my life. 2nd best day is when he asked me to marry him, and the BEST day will always be marrying my best friend. We've experienced many highs and many lows over the past 5 years, but we have persevered, and its been the best 5 years of my life! Now, I get to spend forever with my best friend!