The invisible string theory is defined as: A concept suggesting that those who are meant to be together are connected by an invisible thread, even when separated by distance or time. It is believed that these connections are inevitable and that these individuals will eventually find their way to each other, regardless of circumstances They went to the same high school and passed each other in the halls, went to the same football games, they even had mutual friends, yet they never officially met one another. Anthony was a senior in 2016 when he followed Samantha on instagram, and she was a sophomore. She thought he was cute and was waiting for him to slide in her DMs - as this is typically how teenage boys asked girls out. Literal crickets. Nothing ever happened LOL . She followed him back and they both went about their lives. Fast forward to late 2020, they both had lived through a variety of different experiences, were going to college, and still seemed to be following each other on instagram! Anthony always liked Samantha's selfies and she always supported his photography content and admired how talented he was. Anthony posted on his story about his birthday that year, and Samantha was in a good mood and apparently feeling bold, so she sent him a message to wish him a happy birthday, despite not really knowing him. He responded with the exact words "appreciate you", (which is how she now jokingly responds to him every year as they wake up on the morning of her birthday). The next day, Anthony reached out to Samantha to talk to her again and they've spoken everyday since. Their first date was in 2021 at a bar called Louie's on Main in Garden Grove, which will forever have a special place in their hearts. They were there for about 5 hours just learning more about one another - talking about their hopes and dreams. Despite how happy they made each other, there was a point in time a few months later where they were both going to school, working multiple jobs, and their schedules just weren't aligning. They knew they wanted to be together, but didn't know how to make it work. This would normally call for two people to accept that they would have to part ways, but they knew this relationship was something more- something worth fighting for. They waited. They were patient with each other, they prayed it would somehow work out because they seemed to be the perfect match. They made sacrifices in the months to come to be able to see each other and even got new jobs to create space in their schedules. Clearly, they had a lot more time on their hands because they found out Samantha was pregnant with a sweet baby boy at the end of 2022! Parenthood has expanded their love for one another in ways they didn't even know were possible. They are so incredibly thankful that they met right when they needed to. When the time was right. Now, they have a beautiful family and can't believe that they were right in front of each other this entire time. Thank you for being a part of our journey and for all of your support! We love you all more than words can explain. With love, Anthony & Samantha Always & Forever