The day we met started as an ordinary high school day, nothing short of boring, especially in our morning study hall with nothing to do. I was working on nothing in particular when I looked over the room and spotted this boy in a Divine Mercy hoodie. I felt drawn to talk to him even though he was halfway across the room, and it was a silent period. Despite thinking I could get in trouble for not staying in my seat, I approached, sat at the empty desk next to him, and wrote a note simply asking if he actually went to Divine Mercy, the church I grew up in. We passed this note back and forth until there was no more room, discovering our shared connection to the Catholic faith and our experiences witnessing God, and that he didn’t know he was in my Spanish class, which, after knowing him for so long, makes a lot of sense. By the end of this note, we exchanged information and became best friends. After a few months of friendship, I decided I wanted more and asked if he would give me a chance; he said, “Give me some time to think about it.” Two weeks later, he asked me out while dropping me off at my bus, and of course, I said yes, starting the long, lovely road that led us here.

Veronica was the first to approach me, which ultimately was for the best because I was too awkward to make any move at all. We were both in our study hall, and I was pretending to do work. In the corner of my eye was a girl I had never seen before, who kept eyeballing me and writing something on this note. I thought to myself, “Please don’t be a love letter,” but I was really caught off guard when she asked if I went to the local Life Teen event. I couldn’t help but look at her and started to talk to her. I expected our personalities to clash, given that she was so outgoing and I was always in my shell, but the more we talked, the more she intrigued me. As the time flew by, I found myself talking to her more, and I would often watch the clock waiting for the few classes I had with her. When she, in classic Veronica fashion, asked me out. I got nervous and asked her to give me time to think about it. I spent a lot of time contemplating whether or not I was ready for a relationship. I really did like her a lot, and I wanted to spend more time with her, but was I right for her? Ultimately, I decided to take the leap and dive into a relationship I probably wasn’t ready for. But to this day, that choice is the best decision I have ever made.