The year is 2007! A time of turmoil and strife: a year when Gerick and Athena found themselves in the early throes of adolescence. Neither knew each other yet, not until Gerick started up an extracurricular art club to spur creativity in his friends and classmates. That wistful ambition created a unique space that attracted Athena, and when she attended her first club meeting, it didn't take long for her to develop a massive crush on Gerick. Unfortunately, Athena soon discovered that Gerick was already taken, shattering all hopes and dreams she might've had at a high school romance. The fallout wasn't too earth-shattering, however. She had the chance to get over it when forced to transfer to a new high school the following year. And so, she left. Gerick never forgot Athena, though. Even though he unknowingly was the root of an ill-fate case of unrequited love, he couldn't shake the feeling he had meeting Athena for the first time. Perhaps it was her name, or maybe it was something more. Regardless, Gerick very much noticed when she didn't return.

2014! It has been seven years since Gerick and Athena met, and the two had become distant strangers. Both had gone on to become semi-functioning young adults, attending college and pursuing creative ambitions. Their lives were hardly interconnected, only managing to be distant acquaintances on social media. However, a chance encounter began a surprising reconnection. It all started with a Facebook post about Jojo's Bizarre Adventure--a cult-favorite manga/TV show that both deeply loved. Gerick, desperate to connect with anyone who knew the series, noticed Athena like a post he made about it. This single moment sparked a tumultuous journey of reacquaintance, discovery, indecision, conviction, and eventually, romance. Love tends to emerge in bizarre ways. It can grow deep inside you for years before violently erupting outward in everything you say and do. If you have a mind to perceive its unexpected twists and turns, then you'll find yourself speechless yet fervently aware. Somehow, Gerick and Athena discovered the warmth that gripped them. Gerick needed to pursue Athena; suddenly, the feeling that gripped him seven years ago made sense. And with one brief question, the two's lives became intertwined!

And so, a new adventure began--one that sparked a wealth of joyous memories and discovery. In the years that followed, Gerick and Athena learned more about one another. They shared their dreams and desires, supporting each other as they crossed significant milestones. All the while, they both learned to be vulnerable, laying out their emotional struggles bare for the other to see. This relationship was a testing ground for things to come, as all meaningful adventures have their fair shares of highs and lows. Little did they know of the far greater love relentlessly pursuing them, a passion that always alluded their sight.

Trauma and pain always run the risk of tearing relationships apart. When left unaddressed, the ugliest sides of ourselves convince us that we're not worthy, often driving us to hurt those we love. It can happen to everyone, and unfortunately, it's something that happened to Gerick and Athena. In their darkest hour, everything seemed hopeless. Nothing made sense anymore. All Gerick and Athena could feel was a sharp pain lurching within that no words of affirmation could ever hope to heal. It felt like a betrayal. There was no more trust. Yet, in that bleak ruin, a glimmer of hope revealed itself. Amid the grief and anguish that threatened to topple everything, there came an unexpected visitor working through others. It was spiritual, unlike anything--a force that intervened to heal and restore what had broken. There was warmth; it felt like an embrace. All it took was a moment of intensity and weakness, the will to surrender. He was in the room with them. It felt like God. It was God. In the days that followed, Gerick and Athena gave their lives to Jesus.

The year is 2020! Gerick and Athena have walked alongside Jesus for three years. The path since being saved had not been easy, but with grace and forgiveness, Christ’s love continued to find a way. Amid these new challenges, the question of marriage began to present itself. Gerick knew he wanted to spend his life with Athena. However, he could never muster up the confidence to move forward, not until he realized that God didn't demand perfection before He could seal such a union. And so, Gerick designed the custom ring he always wanted for Athena. Meanwhile, Athena had already been plotting, awaiting Gerick's proposal with an engagement ring of her own. But the proposal never quite came. Crippling anxiety once again overwhelmed Gerick as he contemplated how he'd even pop the question. Time passed, and it wasn't until Valentine's Day night that things came to a head. With impatience brewing on both sides, Athena tore down Gerick's fear and made a simple request: "Let's go get your ring and then find a spot to propose! You can choose the location, so it can still be a surprise." It was so sudden, but pride couldn't hold Gerick against his desire to propose to Athena. It didn't need all this pomp and circumstance. It just needed to be honest, heartfelt, and genuine. At that instant, Gerick decided to take Athena to where they first met: the high school classroom where he held his art club.

When Gerick and Athena arrived, a wave of nostalgia overcame them. Both recounted old memories and reflected upon their significance. How bizarre it all was to think about how their paths joined for a brief instant, only to disband wildly into the ether. Yet, somehow, through what felt like a stroke of luck, it all came back, as if everything about their meeting and reconnection was cosmically inevitable. As if someone was always plotting it, writing every event with the intention that it would come to this. And what a beautiful thing this was. God had always put it in their hearts; He declared a move to be made on that fateful night. The moment began with an outpouring of emotion, followed shortly by a question, an answer, and an exchange of rings. The warmth of their grinning, tear-soaked faces made scarce the frigid midnight air. The proposal renewed the fire in their hearts, reaffirming the love that persisted all those years. And in its wake, a heat permanently cast in the gold of their rings worn proudly, both Gerick and Athena forever grateful to Jesus for what lay ahead.