Stephen and Madison met online. Stephen told Madison that he was emotionally unavailable for a relationship, but wanted to be friends. They began falling in love. Madison wasn’t sure that it was going to work. Then it did.

Everyone who knows a good story, knows it’s got at least one analogy. And anyone who’s had a good conversation with a Manley, can expect a story that revolves around one. And anyone that knows Madison McPeak, knows she wouldn’t waste these three lines for such rhetoric. Some people fall in love and describe the experience as freefalling, taking a dive off of a cliff. This love story was not quite like that, but more comparable to diving underwater. They met in typical millennial fashion: online. Their first date was at Stephens house. Maddie came in and was overwhelmed with his taste in interior design, which could only be described as 21st century je ne sais quoi. The neo-French, Creole, Southern CA hostel influence was indisputable and would have earned him a place in the well-renown Bachelor Boutique Homes, if such a piece existed. It wasn’t more than five minutes of exchanging eccentric, awkward pleasantries before they were diving into a cup of coffee and deep conversation. Stephen told Maddie that he was emotionally unavailable for a relationship, but wanted to know if she had space in her life for a friend. He felt like a fool saying that, worried that he was going to miss an opportunity, but with a smile, Maddie said yes, and they went from there. Impressed as Madison was with his grand coffee cup collection and luxurious hammocks eye-lagged to various walls in the house, it was the conversations they got hooked on that night…vulnerable and aware, both feeling stronger for it. To this day that’s their favorite place to explore. Sometimes they are seen surfacing at local bars, beaches or get-togethers, most commonly with a deck of cards in hand. If nowhere to be found, they’re probably diving. They had a clear sense of priorities and found common ground in their children. Collectively, they had three young people to keep in mind: Adelina, Katrina, and Daniel. They didn’t want to meet each other’s children until they had established some credibility in the relationship and figured out where it was heading. Looking at schedules, they realized they’d only be able to see each other once a month. But it didn’t stop them from diving all night long on the phone, every night…they were like a couple of 14-year-olds. They connected through values, philosophies, world views, and mutual interest in each others life experiences–which were strikingly different up to that point. An adventurous heart and the most curious mind, they did not overlook the differences, but explored them, uncovering their values. It’s a practice that’s become second nature, getting daily practice, because these two have some differences to balance. But that’s the most valuable treasure they found diving: balancing their (very strong) egos with the trusted perspective of a loyal friend. They don’t “complete each other” because we’re all perfectly incomplete; they don’t compete against each other because what’s the point? (unless it’s a game of cards, then Madison is flipping tables). They compliment each other by opening up. It has been a shared experience that felt truly unique to them, leading them through the unknown a step at a time…never falling, just walking with faith and wonder. The first I love you’s, the first time meeting each other’s children, the first times they said I love you to their bonus babies, going for a 10-mile leprechaun hunt on a rusted single-speed bike, some strange rave in the middle of the woods, hot springs and cold plunges…adventures abound.

On one adventure, they walked into the cab of a 4-seater Cessna, flew to San Luis Obispo, and a couple days later, found themselves alone on the top of a really steep hike (ill-equipped for the hike, one of them in a suit and the other barefoot). They barely missed the sunset, out of breath and sweating. He said, “I didn’t bring you up here for the sunset. I brought you here because I want to know if you want to spend the rest of your life catching and missing them with me?” She said yes. There’s days Stephen can be so damn much (I don’t know how she does it), but her acts of love reaffirm that she won’t settle for any less. And the feeling of being understood has never left him wanting a friend more…