We'd like to let everyone know that we love and care about you, and during this very strange time in all of our lives, we are offering an alternative to attending our celebration in person for anyone who may feel uncomfortable with doing so. Our videographer will be hosting a livestream of our day that will be available for anyone to watch from their home. We know it's a difficult time to be traveling or gathering, and we're happy to be able to provide this alternative for you to still be with us!

We first met through our friends at an arcade. We only saw each other for a few minutes but the interest to know each other was already sparked. We all met a few nights later at a park while drinking some Fireball whiskey. While my friend and I were talking, I hear a thud followed by a quieter one. Turns out Carly was climbing a tree and fell out of it. My first response wasn't to worry or find out if she was okay, it was to giggle and feel my chest grow light with affection. Later on, we laid on a bridge in the playground and talked about wrestling, video games and T.V. shows. From then on I knew that the seed of love was planted, and that it would only grow with more time with her...

This is when I knew that we had something special. One night while texting each other, I had mentioned a little about my home situation and that I couldn't stand to be there. Without missing a beat, Ronald asked me if I'd like to go for a drive. I'm normally very guarded and would say no, but something told me to take a chance, so I said yes! Despite it being about 1AM, he said he'd be on his way, and about 20 minutes later, there he was. He was parked around the corner from my house, and I remember he was wearing a black leather jacket and had his hair slicked back. He was quite a sight. And me, I’m just in jeans and a t-shirt, with a bag of my things I had hastily thrown together, looking like a total mess. I got in the car and we just drove around talking and getting to know each other better, and realizing we had so much in common, and how much we generally enjoyed each other’s company. And for the first time, I didn’t feel uncomfortable or like I should be embarrassed by or unhappy with who I am, and that is not something I had ever felt before. By around 4AM, we went to a restaurant and each had a ribeye steak and we shared a chocolate milkshake, something we both endearingly referred to as the “steaks and shakes” date when telling our best friends. Afterward, we parked on top of the mall parking garage and laid on the hood of his car, watching the sky until it got too cold and got back into the car. We weren't ready to part ways just yet so we stayed and talked some more, listening to nostalgic Super Nintendo game music until we fell asleep for a few hours, until it was morning and we finally decided we should probably both get home. He drove me home, and I went to catch up on some sleep with an unfamiliar yet warm and happy feeling in my heart.

When we first started hanging out, all we ever wanted to do was spend time together (and that hasn't changed much). While I was figuring out how to get out of my house, instead of staying there in an uncomfortable environment, Ronald and I would just drive his car to quiet places and we'd sleep in the back seat every night. I know that sounds uncomfortable, but it was honestly the best sleep I had gotten in years at the time, and we bonded so much over that period of time. This went on for about two months, and by the time my best friend and I found a condo to move into together, Ronald and I were already basically a package deal, and he moved in with me, and the rest is history!