Martin and I go way back, long before we ever actually met. We both attended Harder Elementary, where we knew of each other but never spoke. Our moms, however, were a different story. They were always chatting, and his mom would even chaperone my field trips as a PTA mom. Funny enough, our lives were already crossing paths without us realizing it. We both went on to Winton Middle School, where our schedules lined up almost perfectly. Same classes, same teachers, even the same lunch period… yet somehow, we still don’t remember ever actually interacting. High school finally brought us a little closer. We both ended up at Mt. Eden while most of our classmates went elsewhere. We passed each other in the hallways, but any chance of something more was cut short when Martin moved to Tracy for a while. Fast forward to junior year, March 6, 2020, just before the world shut down. My friend Alejandro and I were trying to make plans, calling around to see who was free. Everyone was busy except Martin. We picked him up by a gas station near his apartments, and as we pulled up, we locked eyes for the first time. We ended up grabbing ice cream, where he conveniently had no money, so of course I covered his scoop… and he’s been covering my ice cream tab ever since ;) After a slightly awkward car ride where we barely spoke, I didn’t think much of it and went on with my life. A few days later, Alejandro and I were together sending Snapchat streaks when I noticed Martin had replayed one… twice. After questioning it, Alejandro let it slip, Martin thought I was cute. Soon after, he added me on Snapchat, and we started talking from there. Six years later, here we are, getting ready to say our “I do’s.” All because he was the only one available LOOOL. <3