Nick and I met when we were just 12 years old at the top of the waterslide in the Sylvester Powell Community Center. This was the popular hangout for all our friends, a place for middle schoolers to flirt freely, push the limits without adult supervision, and hang with kids from other schools. All the other girls liked Nick. He was kind, cute, athletic and always himself. To me, he was just a pal. Over the years, our bond became stronger as we remained constants in each other's lives. Our friendship was special. We never fought. We were always honest. We could spend hours upon hours doing nothing together. Eventually, after countless birthdays, holidays, regular days, and more... we became family. We have stood by one another through everything. All our ugly, selfish adolescent and young adult years were spent side by side. We have witnessed each other's heartaches and pain. We have celebrated each other's wins. We have stood firmly by one another through grief and loss of loved ones. We have laughed and cried tears of joy at the beautiful blessings life has presented us. We have formed our own traditions together, a thousand inside jokes, and to this day have never really had a fight. *knock on wood* Being together has always been easy. Everyone else saw it in us. We felt it. But the fear of tarnishing a friendship so strong held us back for quite some time. Until the day it didn't. This is our great love. The kind of love you read about in books and swoon over in love songs. With time and patience, we have built this life together. Our happily ever after is here and we are over the moon to share it with all of you who have watched this love story unfold.