Our story starts in middle school, when Paige was in 6th grade, Samuel was in 7th grade, and Paige very professionally managed the soccer team that Samuel just so happened to play on. Around this same time, Paige developed a not-at-all-obvious crush on Samuel, while Samuel remained mostly unaware. Samuel wasn’t even allowed to date until he turned 16, but that didn’t stop his dad, Paul, from confidently telling everyone that we were going to get married someday. Bold statement, considering Samuel didn’t even have a phone yet. When he finally got one, Paige proudly became the first person he ever texted, which feels important in hindsight. We stayed friends throughout high school, sharing the same friend group. We officially started dating the summer before Paige’s senior year in high school, while Samuel was preparing to head to Lenoir Community College, where he would be busy playing baseball, and she would be cheering him on. After graduating from high school, Paige headed to ECU while Samuel stayed at Lenoir and later moved on to UNC. Through it all, we weren’t just dating; we were best friends. Following college, Paige and Samuel both moved back home to live and work, while Samuel began applying to graduate school. Luckily, this meant we got to spend two full summers together, finally enjoying living in the same town after years of long distance. Those summers were filled with days on the boat, long walks with the dogs, and everything in between. Samuel proposed at one of the most meaningful places to us, the farm, a place full of memories and a whole lot of love. From middle school friends to lifelong partners, we’re excited to marry our favorite person and celebrate with the people who’ve supported us along the way. And fine—we’ll say it once, quietly: Paul was right all along. Let’s just hope he never reads this.