I think it’s only right to start by thanking the Marine Corps — and maybe a little bit of fate — for putting us in the right place at the right time. Because meeting Nolan truly felt like something that was meant to happen. We were both in SRC, the holding platoon in Twenty-Nine Palms. Everyone was packed up and ready to move to the schoolhouse barracks. Our gear was staged out front, and we were all just waiting for the word to start walking up. I remember being hungry, so I went to the vending machine and grabbed a Hot Fudge Sundae Pop-Tart. Up until that moment, Nolan and I hadn’t really talked. But by chance, his things were staged right next to mine, and we both happened to be sitting on our gear. He looked over and asked what kind of Pop-Tart I was eating. When I told him, he said, “I’ve never tried that kind.” So of course, I offered him a piece. We sat there for a few minutes, just talking — simple, easy, effortless. Before I knew it, I’d offered him the rest of the pack after only eating half of one. It might sound like such a small, ordinary moment, but that’s how our story began — over a Pop-Tart. And looking back now, I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Because from that simple moment came everything that matters most to me. Even through the times when we didn’t talk much afterward, there was always something in me that knew… that I wanted to be with Nolan. That this connection — this feeling — was different. I can’t help but smile at how something so small turned into something so beautiful. All because of a Pop-Tart, the Marine Corps, and a little bit of fate.