We first met in August 2008. Though we grew up just a couple of streets apart, we didn’t actually meet until Beth moved away and later returned to visit her friend Lacey. That summer Lacey introduced her to Andrew, Austin, Jeff, and Johnny. Chris was out of town for a baseball tournament; when he got back, Johnny told him how much he was going to love Beth, while Lacey was saying the same to Beth about Chris.

A typical teenage romance followed, on and off for a few years, until life pulled us in different directions. We both ended up at Michigan State University and would cross paths occasionally but mostly lived our own lives and dated other people. The last time we saw each other before losing touch was the summer of 2016, when we grabbed breakfast together one morning.

Then, eight years passed without contact and we had no idea how the other’s life had unfolded. In August 2024, fate stepped in and we reconnected. What started as catching up quickly turned into spending more time together, and before long we realized we were falling in love all over again.

Within a few months we both knew this was it. Our friends Austin and Jeff had been teasing Chris for years that Beth was always “the one.” Turns out they were right. And honestly, even if we had met only a few years ago, we’re certain we still would have ended up right here.