In 2014, Hannah and her friend Elise were fiercely competing in a school-wide reading contest. The competition was based on small tests related to books the students had read—the more books you read, the more points you could earn. Determined to win, the two girls devised a clever plan: they would take tests on each other’s accounts to maximize their scores. But their motivation wasn’t just about winning—it was about beating one particular opponent. A boy from the grade below them kept reading more books and outscoring them. Hannah distinctly remembers passing Joel in the elementary school hallways as Elise pointed him out. To Hannah, he was nothing more than a rival, her arch-nemesis in the battle for reading supremacy. Fast forward to early 2020, when Hannah and Joel met through their mutual friend, Danny. As a trio, they walked the halls of their high school together on the way to athletics, and over time, Hannah and Joel's friendship grew. They started reading popular book series together, bonding over their shared love of literature. One day, while reminiscing about books, Hannah had a sudden realization—this was the same Joel she had once tried to outread all those years ago. Memories of the reading contest came rushing back, along with a new perspective on their story. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, we laugh about this memory. It’s incredible to see how much our lives have changed in each other’s presence. We’re best friends, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. This next step in life is one we’ve been eagerly anticipating for years, and there is so much confidence, joy, and love in the idea of finally getting married!