Michael and I met over 16 years ago. It was a little Skype call brought about through our love of Kingdom Hearts and voice acting. We were both laughing the whole time I still remember the day we first talked. I went down stairs and told my Mom: “He feels like the kind of person who is always going to be in my life.” And he was. What started off as a friendship developed into more than a romance. It was a relationship with our friendship at its core. At one point, during the first year of our relationship, I was in the hospital. He’s not religious at all, but I remember him saying how he prayed for me to heal. Nerds that we are, once we got together we had our first kiss after encountering a massive Optimus Prime statue for a Transformers movie promotion. I’ve watched him grow from an introverted person to an incredible puppeteer and watched him take further steps outside of his comfort zone to benefit our future together. We’ve faced challenges, gone on trips, cried together, grown together and found happiness with one another. Whenever I am with Michael, I feel like I can be the truest version of myself. Like I never have to hold back. He’s taught me patience and reminds me how to be an active listener. When I’m with him, I just feel at peace. Just hearing him laugh as we watch our favorite tv shows together brings me back to me!