Mike and Michelle’s love story started as classmates back at Smith Middle School in Ramsey, NJ. Although they were only 13 at the time, Mike already knew he had found someone special and quickly developed a crush on the cute girl with the blonde curls that sat next to him in class. They started hanging out with the same group of mutual friends and by 8th grade, they were a couple. After school, Michelle would usually walk back to her house up the block with a group of her girlfriends to hang out, gossip about the day, and make Michelle’s famous grilled cheese; Mike usually wasn’t far behind and spent most of his time at the Prisciotta house. Their middle school romance came and went very fast as Highschool was quickly approaching. Mike and Michelle grew apart as a couple but always remained the closest of friends. They hung around the same group, shared classes together and could always be seen together at social events. Their connection stood the test of time and throughout college, Michelle always thought she had a great “best guy friend” from back home. Little did she know that 7th grade crush that Mike had never truly went away. When Michelle and Mike found themselves hiding from COVID back at their parents’ house, that old childhood flame was reignited. They would take walks around town together, each one on opposite side of the streets just to be safe and would chat about life. Soon enough those walks turned into motorcycle rides through the mountains when they realized the words “social distancing” don’t apply to each other. As charming as it was, both Mike and Michelle realized they were ready to get back out there in the world and decided to both move to California, Michelle to LA and Mike to San Diego. Once again, the transitions of life weighed on Mike’s conscious as he worried their paths may not cross again. It didn’t take long before they realized the 3 hour drive up and down the coast was a small price to pay to see each other and the friendship continued. As the trips became more frequent, Mike was having a hard time finding an answer to his friend’s nosey question of “Soo…what’s the deal with you guys?” It was during a group snowboard trip to Mammoth Mountain where Michelle found herself asking that same question…. After a full day of Mike guiding her down the mountain, and making sure she didn’t fall (too much), Michelle had a feeling there might be more to this friendship. Whether it was the adrenaline from the downhill adventure or the confidence that follows a third hot toddy, Michelle boldly asked Mike if he loved her which he replied “Yes, I don’t think I ever stopped.”