Welcome Friends and Family

"Oh my gosh, Tim!!! I LOVE your haircut," Brooke excitedly told Tim, who was her front row acquaintance in Public Discourse class. She continued: "I like you SO much--" when suddenly the professor interrupted her. A minute later, she finished her compliment--"better like this." For Tim, this exchange marked a period of some serious confusion, because he believed Brooke accidentally confessed her feelings for him. In awe of Brooke’s compliment, he thought to himself "Wow. she is the most bold, forward girl I've EVER met." Brooke and Tim couldn’t be on more different pages. Brooke didn’t mean to flirt with her classmate. She simply intended to compliment his decision to chop his (too) long, Thor-meets-mountain-man-looking hair. Unbeknownst to either of them, this encounter sparked their deep friendship, and seventeen months later, they would be engaged. While we’d be over the moon to give an in-depth narration of our relationship's hallmark moments, we won’t. The explanation would be far too long for the website. Instead, you should imagine our meeting story extended. Tim interpreted things one way, and Brooke entirely another. For two Communication Studies specialists, the sheer amount of communication confusion is stunning (and embarrassing!). However, a month or so later, we got on the same page when Tim asked Brooke on a date. Brooke’s “no” bursted Tim’s bubble. Feeling sad, Tim grew hopeful, since Brooke said they could be friends, adding that something could change in the future. And it did. Over the next five months, Tim and Brooke's lives intertwined as they became best friends. Tim’s persistence made it so. Like clockwork, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Tim came to Brooke’s dorm to attend chapel together. Frequently, he drove 2.5 hours to spend time with her & her family for a couple hours, joined SAA as VP to be her right hand during her presidency, planned “friend” dates around town, invited her to meet his family in Santa Barbara, made ice cream runs with her, drove and sang with her, exercised with her, listened to her rants, studied with her at coffee shops, took work breaks with her, accompanied her while she cooked meals, and brought her to Texas as his +1 to his brother, Zach’s, wedding. No matter Brooke’s friendly feelings for him, she gave her time to Tim, and he took it. She didn’t realize it, but as time went on, and though she’d deny it, she treated Tim more like a boyfriend than a friend. She slowly fell in love with Tim. And, when she was ready, she prayed that the LORD would direct their friendship and submitted her entire heart to His will. Meanwhile, Tim remained steady. He was confident, present, and, well, never lost sight of what he wanted. He’d make jokes about them being married one day and asked her if her feelings ever changed, assuring that he’d wait however long it took for her heart to change. And, while he waited, Tim prayed fervently for patience and received confidence, because he believed God had a plan to use our relationship for His good. Our friendship’s beginning was fraught of mutual misunderstanding, but once Brooke realized Tim was her once-in-a-lifetime man, the relationship rapidly progressed to an Italian summer’s day. On July 19, 2022, down on one knee, Tim asked Brooke to marry him. Filled to the brim with excitement and anticipation, Brooke enthusiastically jumped and said “YES!!!!” before he even popped the question. Eleven months after our engagement, we’ll be married, and we are beyond elated to keep writing “The Tale of Us.”