If you grew up in Powell, you know you can’t officially celebrate Christmas without going to Zoo Lights. And as a sophomore in high school, what better way to flirt your way into the senior boy group than to go on a double date. Now for context, if you ask Ryan how we met, he’d probably give you a slightly different version of this story. But fortunately you get the *correct* version because I’m the one telling this. When we arrived at the zoo, our friends immediately hit it off and walked ahead talking and holding hands. If you think Ryan tried to do the same with me, you’d be wrong. Instead, Ryan secretly entered into a one sided version of the silent treatment - and I’m still not convinced he didn’t have money on the line because he was taking this VERY seriously. After an hour of silence, I decided enough was enough, it was time to pull out the ~smooth moves~. What better way to get him to talk to me than to ask him for a favor? So I did, I asked him to hold my phone. Ryan may tell you I was “standoffish” and “handed him my phone without looking at him,” but I’m sure I was ever so kind and held the appropriate amount of eye contact. So was it love at first phone hold? Did we decide to get married right then and there? I could lie and say yes, but I take my narration duties very seriously so I’ll be honest: we both just went home after this. It took another 4 months to have our first kiss, in which I promptly ran away and did not talk to him for 2 days, and an additional 3 months before we started dating. But 3 months into our relationship, we decided we’d get married some day. And for those still counting, almost 10 years later, here we are!