S & J

Sarah and John David first met almost six years ago on the pool deck, swimming was what brought them together. They both swam competitively for years; John David continued into college while Sarah decided to stop after high school, though she still spent her summers lifeguarding and soaking up the sun by the water. That summer of 2020, John David was home from college to train when he saw Sarah on deck and, as he likes to say, it was love at first sight. After a quick Instagram DM asking for her number, they went on their first date to Sonic, the go-to spot for small-town summer nights. They spent the rest of that summer together boating, savoring beach days, watching lightning storms, and soaking up every moment they could. When summer ended, so did their time in the same place. They went off to separate colleges and, despite trying to make long distance work, eventually went their own ways. But in October 2024, John David reached back out to Sarah, wanting to catch up. That one message turned into nightly FaceTimes, and before long, Sarah flew out to see him. They started dating again in January 2025, and it was as if no time had passed. Sarah moved back to North Carolina in May, and by August, after another perfect summer together, John David proposed in the same spot where he had first asked her to be his girlfriend.