Beneath a starry sky veiled in the sweetly acrid scent of campfire smoke, we made the first tentative steps toward love. It seemed that something transcendent connected us that night and it has never severed, even though at times the storms of life and emotions ran high. Many things happened before that campfire moment -glimpsing each other in church, filming an orchestra in Kearny (with his grandmother as a chaperone) and chasing a thunder storm all the way back home, blaring some of our favorite music, 2 Cellos. Two years have passed since those heady days, and our bond has only grown. Through misunderstanding and reconciliation, through life changes, hoping together, dreaming together, praying for each other, we have grown closer together and closer to God through Christ. It has been one of the greatest adventures of our lives and it has been a beautiful thing. Romance doesn't always come quickly. Sometimes it has to grow over time, gaining trust and resilience as two hearts have become one. This is our story.