we’re getting married!

You know that feeling when you meet someone and just know they’re going to be a big part of your life? That’s how I felt about Tyler the moment we met in high school—though I didn’t yet understand the severity of it. We always seemed to gravitate toward eachother, but the timing was never right. In high school, I’d let him eat my lunches, and he even cheated off my math test—which he later regretted because we both failed. Years after high school, Tyler would reach out from time to time, and we’d catch up like we always had. But this time felt different. We finally took the leap and went on our first real date. I prepared myself for two outcomes: I’d found my future husband or a funny story to tell my friends. But sitting at that Mexican restaurant for hours, laughing, catching up, and sharing a few too many margaritas, I knew, this could be my future husband. After he dropped me off, we both couldn’t wait to see each other again. The “I love yous” came just weeks later, as if we had loved each other all along. We’ve taken many trips together, but our first was to Gatlinburg, Tennessee in 2023—just three months into dating. That trip sealed it for me. I knew I wanted to marry him. We returned to Gatlinburg in October 2025… but this time, Tyler had a big question… On October 20, 2025, he told me we had dinner reservations at 5 PM. On the way to “dinner,” we passed a beautiful mountain overlook at sunset. Tyler casually suggested we stop to take in the view. As we walked up, I saw a blanket laid out on the grass and a sign that read, “Cassidy, will you marry me?” With shaky hands and nervous laughs, Tyler got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was the easiest yes of my life. HIS POV: I met Cassidy sophomore year of high school when she moved here from Texas. She was the new girl everyone noticed beautiful, funny, kind. From the very beginning, she made me laugh, and that laughter quickly became something I looked forward to every day in math class, She didn’t make it easy to pay attention to the teacher. We talked off and on throughout high school, a friendship full of jokes, late conversations, shared memories, and moments that quietly held more meaning than I realized at the time. Somewhere along the way, I knew she would always be part of my life. After graduation, we finally went on a date, and from that moment on, everything just felt right. She became my best friend, my safe place, and the person who understands me better than anyone else. On October 20, 2025, I got down on one knee and asked Cassidy to marry me, and she said yes. It was the easiest and best decision I’ve ever made. I can’t wait to spend forever loving her, laughing with her, and building a life together. It turns out all those years of “almost” were really just God telling us, not yet. Every missed moment, wrong timing, and failed math test led us right where we were supposed to be. What started as shared lunches and high school crushes turned into forever—right on time. Proof that God’s timing is perfect… even if it takes a few detours (and a few margaritas) to get there.