Toulee and I met in high school. He was one class older than me and we happened to have the same friend groups. He stood out the most to me because of his smile, sense of fashion, and mysteriousness. Our class schedules never really overlapped, so we never had the opportunities to “accidentally” bump into each other at school. So I did what any other teenager at the time did—-slid into his DMs first and shot my shot. Lol. That’s what started a series of flirting, locker notes, dates to the lake and many Cheesecake Factory dinners and more. But, throughout this new journey, we also met our fair share of bumps and heartaches along the road with other obstacles that would force our hands. Throughout the years, we tried to remain friends but deep down we both knew we still had lingering feelings for each other. As time went on and distance became a greater barrier, we went separate ways and focused on ourselves. The pandemic hits and allowed me the opportunity to come back home to Milwaukee more and accidentally reconnecting with him. After 6 years, it felt like I was getting to know a new person. The more we attempted to try and date the “new versions of ourselves”, the more our conversations had meaning and depth. I realized how much we had grown and why the time-passed was so necessary for the both of us…and the rest is history. ❤️