We met when we were just 14 years old, back in 2012, during high school. Melissa was the new girl, trying to make friends while everyone else already seemed to know each other. We ended up sitting beside each other in our last-period business class, and from that first day, something just clicked. Nicholas was hilarious, always making people laugh and lighting up the whole room. He made everyone feel comfortable — especially Melissa, who instantly felt at ease around him.

We quickly became inseparable friends. We spent our lunches together, hung out after school, and spent weekends watching movies or meeting up with friends. We were always up to something, whether it was skipping class or getting into harmless trouble and laughing about it later. There was one time Melissa called the school pretending to be Nicholas’s mom so he wouldn’t get in trouble, which completely backfired. Another time, we told our parents we were somewhere else and ended up sleeping in a car after a concert. We were just kids, but those moments became the foundation of something truly special.

Near the end of grade 10, we had a small falling out and didn’t talk for a few months. That summer, Nicholas went to Greece, and somehow, that distance apart brought us closer together. When he came home, our friendship felt stronger and deeper, and slowly it turned into something more.

We still remember the moment it all began — our first kiss under the staircase at our high school. On January 20, 2014, we made it official, and from that moment on, we were inseparable. Melissa spent so much time at Nicholas’s house that it became a second home. His grandmother would cook for her, care for her, and love her as if she were her own granddaughter. Those years were filled with simple, happy moments that shaped who we are as a couple.

After high school, we took our first big trip together: five unforgettable weeks in Greece. We fell even more in love with each other and with Greece itself, and we promised that one day, when we got married, it would be there.

Travel became one of our biggest passions. We explored so many places together, but the one spot that always called us back was Aruba. After more than eight trips there, Nicholas proposed to Melissa on Divi Beach at sunset. It couldn’t have been more perfect, and it felt like everything had come full circle.

Now, after 11 years together, it still feels effortless to love each other. We’ve grown up side by side, shared every version of ourselves, and built countless memories. What started as two teenagers sitting next to each other in business class has become a love story that is still being written, and we wouldn’t change a single thing about it.