Nicholas and I first crossed paths back in high school—during my junior year and his senior year. We were in the same calculus class, and he sat behind me. I noticed him right away, though he didn’t quite notice me at the time. He had a girlfriend, and I admired him quietly from afar (and definitely mentioned the cute boy in my calculus class to my mom more than once). I had actually recognized Nicholas from a friend’s Instagram story, so when I saw him tagged in a photo, I followed him through a mutual friend. Shortly after, I found the perfect excuse to message him—asking for calculus notes after missing class for an assembly. What started as a simple request turned into light banter, easy conversations, and discovering how much we had in common. Even then, everything stayed respectful and friendly. Not long after, Nicholas dropped out of that calculus class—and I was surprisingly sad about it. Around the same time, I switched from chemistry to physics with a friend. As fate would have it, Nicholas was in that physics class too, sitting directly across from me. We exchanged a few glances, and from there, our connection slowly grew. He’d walk me to class, we’d talk more, and things just felt easy. After Nicholas went through a breakup, we began talking more often. I remember being so excited when he told me to text his number instead of messaging on Instagram—it felt like a big moment. Over the next few months, our conversations became more flirtatious, and he started inviting me to hang out with his friends. We spent time at the beach, the park, and just enjoying each other’s company, knowing it was becoming something more. One especially memorable day was in Seal Beach. We walked for hours through neighborhoods, watched street performers play music, saw kids dancing, and admired all the little details that made the day feel so wholesome and special. Later, while sitting in a park, Nicholas—true to who he is—asked me very directly what I wanted from him. I was nervous at first, but I admired his honesty so much. When he asked if I wanted a relationship, I told him that I really liked him. As we spent more time together, we also exchanged heartfelt love letters, sharing our thoughts, dreams, and our deepening feelings for one another. It was clear that God had a plan for us, and our connection grew stronger with each passing day. Not long after, Nicholas asked me to be his girlfriend. I was 17, he was 18, and everything felt exciting, new, and a little nerve-wracking. I even initiated our first kiss—a sweet, innocent peck on the front steps of my mom’s house. We started dating on April 4, 2018, and nearly eight years later, here we are—still choosing each other every day and getting married on May 24, 2026. What began with a calculus class and a few exchanged glances turned into a lifetime of love, laughter, and growing together. Our love, guided by faith and purpose, has grown into something truly beautiful, and we’re endlessly grateful for the journey God had planned for us.