CARLOS' VERSION: Three months after we started dating, it happened to be my 33rd Birthday. We had been spending a lot of time together, and since that amazing first date, not a day had gone without speaking to each other. She had arranged for a custom cake that resembled something near and dear to my heart - empanadas -. We were having a few friends over drinks, cake, and like millions around the world; the premier of Game of Thrones Season 8. After the evening was coming to a close, and everyone was leaving, I went to say good night as I had many a night in the past 3 months; except without a pause the words came out... I love you. I said it without any forethought, it just came truthfully and unequivocally, and yet with all the chaos of departure, a whisper that I was not sure was heard. Throughout the following weeks, anytime we were together, I danced around the topic trying to figure out if she heard, and how to say it again, and yet it was on May 8th, when Steph had a work event near me; where I stole a few moments from work, just to see her and help her wherever I could, as I kissed her goodbye and was leaving, she stopped me and said it… first! And yet all I could do was smile, and say I love you too! Ecstatic at knowing that we were both there, in love. Briefly we had to return to our days, pausing the moment until we saw one another again. I would later come to find out that she had heard me that day on my birthday, and like me was trying to figure out if it had actually happened, so when we tell the story off who said i love you, we banter and compete for who said it first, because we knew what we felt and wanted, but only said that day that we now call “ I love you day”. STEPHANIE'S VERSION: I knew what I *thought* I heard Carlos’ say that night of his birthday when he hugged me goodbye. But it was so quiet and quick, I couldn’t be sure. With our friends waiting in the door, I couldn’t ask him to repeat himself. So we said goodnight and as the days went on and nothing more was said about it, I began to doubt my own hearing and memory. Just under one month later, I was running a fundraising event for work at a bowling alley near Carlos’ work. I was short handed that night and to make matters more difficult, the printer had made a mistake on some of our sponsorship signs. Carlos called to check-in. Even though he was already working late, when I told him about my struggles, he popped over to help. And always the innovative engineer, he fixed and hung the signs in a matter of minutes! All the indicators were there: I couldn’t remember a time before we didn’t speak everyday, his presence put me immediately at ease, and we so often were thinking the exact same thing. But it was at this moment that I was certain of my own feelings. As Carlos was walking away, I asked him to wait and told him I loved him. Thus cementing my status as the one who said “I love you” first! Carlos and I will often playfully argue over who said “I love you” first. Truthfully, though, I feel so lucky to have not one, but two, first “I love yous” with such an amazing man.