I suppose it all began when a girl transferred into Cedarville her sophomore year, and became friends with the artsy boy from the dorm across the street. They quickly grew to know one another over countless doodle dates, rather than coffee and it only made sense that one day they would end up together. * * * * Mom always told me I would “marry my best friend” and you know, somehow without fully knowing what that would mean… I knew she was right. I can also specifically remember that (before we were dating, mind you) as we sat perched on a bench with our back to the Cincinnati skyline, Jesse put his arm around me and told me I was his best friend. And feeling a little stuck because of the comment made by my mother years before, I didn’t say anything. I think inside I was a little worried he thought of this moment as a “date.” But somewhere along the way I realized I really love going on dates with this guy. His pursuit of me was something I had never before experienced. I learned to trust not only Jesse, but ultimately the Lord, as I left our story in His hands. Through distance, new jobs, and moving to new places, there was one thing I knew to be true and that was with whom I wanted to share in it all. Which is exactly why on July 22, 2017 as I read the sweetly written journal of our memories since the beginning, and my best friend got on one knee and asked me to marry him, I said “yes”. We stood amongst the fog surrounded by the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, curious yet incredibly thankful of just how we ended up there, both physically and metaphorically. A beautiful reminder of our story. And perhaps that’s just why I love it so much, because I never could have written it.