We met on October 26, 2019 at a book club event—of all places. He was timid, I was apprehensive, and neither of us had any idea what would come of that one night. We were both in the middle of our own life transitions, taking a chance by simply showing up somewhere, completely unaware of the moments that were waiting for us. He scanned the room, spotted me among the crowd, and asked to be introduced. Shortly after, a friend came over to let me know there was someone interested. It took him a while to work up the courage to come over (with a little help from Hennessy), but he made it. He cracked a joke, we shared a laugh, and just like that, the ice was broken. We exchanged numbers, but the thing that still stands out to me most is that he said he’d like to get to know me—if I let him. Two weeks later, we went on our first date, talked for hours, and shared our first kiss. Then came the pandemic. In one of the most uncertain times in the world, our relationship and love somehow grew stronger. Between long walks, cooking together, and becoming our own bartenders, we built an inseparable bond. Five years later, on July 21, 2024, the Lord placed it on his heart to make me his forever—and I couldn’t be more grateful that we both showed up to book club that night.