Anthony and I first met through a friend. One day, I was asking this friend if he knew any single guys he could introduce me to. He hesitated and said, “Well, yes, but I’m not sure if you’d like him.” Curious, I asked, “Do you have a picture of him?” He replied, “Well, no, but I can find one.” It was from years ago, when he was younger—a photo that didn’t exactly do him justice. I thought to myself, “He’s not the greatest-looking in this photo, but I’ll talk to him anyway.”

I asked for his Snapchat, and he added me back. I sent a quick “hi,” and he responded with the same. I asked how his day was going, but he suddenly stopped replying. I was so annoyed—thinking he wasn’t worth my time. I even texted our friend, asking why he wasn’t responding. Turns out, he was working a full-time job and had to be up at 4 a.m., while I was still in high school taking college classes.

Despite the slow start, we kept exchanging pictures. I couldn’t believe how different he looked in real life versus that old photo. In the picture, he looked chubby and not very impressive, but in our snaps, he was tan, buff, tall, and had everything going on. I was floored.

After a while, we decided to take our conversations out of Snapchat and actually meet face to face. I was terrified—using every excuse I could think of to avoid meeting up. But finally, I gathered the courage. He drove two hours to come get me, with a friend in tow, while I was too nervous to drive down myself. I didn't tell my parents everything at first; I waited until the day of to tell my dad. He wasn’t thrilled—he was pretty upset about me going two hours away with two boys. But he let me go with strict instructions: they had to write down their names, addresses, parents’ names, contact info—the whole nine yards.

When I saw him pull up, and he stepped out of the car, my heart stopped. He was everything I had been looking for physically. I think I literally “died” for a moment. He took me to a farm where they kept horses, donkeys, cats—everything I loved. I was so excited. I knew right then and there that he was my person—especially when I saw all those animals.

Next, he took me to his family farm. His dad and uncle approached me first—they simply walked up and hugged me, which was so sweet but also confusing since they didn’t even know me. Anthony then took me out to the pig barn, where I saw dozens of adorable baby pigs—though, I won’t lie, the smell was pretty awful! He showed me around the farm and shared stories about his grandpa, who had passed away but meant so much to him.

That night, he brought me over to his mom’s house, where I met his mom, sister, and brother. We hung out upstairs and just enjoyed each other’s company. On the drive home, he looked at me with a smile and said, “I’m going to treat you like the princess you are.” From that moment on, I fell harder and harder each day.

Since then, we’ve been inseparable—stuck together like glue. Our story is one I’ll cherish forever, a reminder that sometimes, the best things happen when you least expect them.

August 7, 2027