We met at work, but believe it or not; there was NO spark at first! The first time we ever hung out was at a team outing with co-workers, and it was strictly friendly. We had exchanged numbers before that event just to coordinate details, but little did we know it would be the start of something quite special. From his side, he implied that I was the one who came after him (he wasn’t exactly smitten right away 😄). From my point of view, however — let’s just say a little “nudge” from a coworker, whom hinted that he might be interested, gave me the confidence to see where things could go. Michael and I started texting occasionally — conversing from designing ideas for my business logo, to photography and financial literacy. One thing led to another… Our first official outing was to the Museum of Illusions at Icon Park. Of course I was nervous! However, we had such a fun time, taking pictures, laughing together, all that jazz. He even invited me for ice cream afterwards, and I took the chance to invite him to my upcoming birthday. Our afternoon together ended in the most awkward goodbye ever! “Okay bye,” MICHAEL ABRUPTLY STATED, MID-CONVERSATION, as the elevator doors opened 😂 But later that night, I texted him that I’d had a great time. Between that day and up until my birthday, we texted and talked more often. I became quite intrigued by his passions, his energy, his love for StepManiaX and volleyball. When he came to my birthday, I finally gathered the courage to be honest about how I felt. I then asked, “Do I really have to tell you I’m interested in you?” He laughed and said, “Why? What do you like about me?” That turned into a deep late-night conversation about life, goals, faith, and what we both wanted in a relationship. That night changed everything, even the time of going home (he ended up going home at 3am). However, it was where our story truly began. After that, we talked every day. He lived in Daytona at the time, and I’d keep him company on his drives. I even surprised him by showing up to support him at one of his StepManiaX tournaments (His first tournament entry, I might add). A couple of weeks later, he planned a date by the beach in Daytona, that’s where we shared our first kiss. Since then, we’ve shared countless adventures together from St. Augustine and Crystal River to New York and beyond. We love exploring new places, taking pictures, being in nature, and praying together. Early in our relationship, we both confessed that finding each other felt like an answered prayer. And truly, it still does. We both thank GOD ALMIGHTY for blessing us with each other! Amen.