Gavin passed Melissa in the hallway of their high school. They exchanged smiles, and it was as though butterflies began dancing around inside of Melissa’s stomach. They both knew each other – it was hard not to when you grew up in a small town – but Gavin was older and he graduated before any sort of relationship could form. Years went by and so did the distance between them – Gavin spent time abroad while Melissa found herself moving to Seattle, but they could never quite erase one another from their minds. It wasn’t until Melissa found herself making a visit home at the same time as Gavin when they would meet for a drink to “catch up.” It was obvious that something was forming between them that night. Something so wonderful, that Gavin decided to pack his own bags and head towards Seattle.

Fast forward.

Melissa looked up at Gavin and smiled. Gavin did his best to smile back in a way that looked natural. It was Christmas and the two were exchanging presents, but it was all Gavin could do to try and hide his nerves while keeping a close eye on the presents under the tree. There was a small box, a specific box, he needed her to open last. When time came for Melissa to reach for that last present, she paused and wanted to watch Gavin open up his gift. Realizing she had paused, he began tearing through wrapping paper to open up his last present as fast as possible. He mumbled a “thanks!” and scooted closer to the edge of his seat to make sure he didn’t miss the moment. Melissa started in on her last gift, and when she realized just exactly what was inside, she heard the words “Will you marry me?”

It started with a game of pool. Maybe before then – or perhaps just a bit after that. Mike and Hanna looked at each other with big grins as they talked over the other one’s sentences trying to remember the details of their story. As we walked along the lush green forest trail towards a river (their adorable dog, Archer, happily scurrying around us), it was clear these two were more than just a future husband and wife, these two were best friends. They complimented each other in a way that gave a sense of confidence, a feeling of home. Hanna squeezed her eyes and tilted her head back with laughter in response to a comment Mike made, trying to recall the days they were both students at the same university in a northern point of Michigan. But it was almost as if those details weren’t the story at all. Rather, their “story” was in the way Hanna smiled when Mike gazed at her, it was in their comfort of just being near one another. It was clear that their love was ongoing, it was natural – it was, though cheesy as it may sound – meant to be.

After a hot & humid day, there really just isn’t any other way to end it…