I adore love stories, and with another whirlwind Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it felt time to share my own. 

Josh and I ran in the same circles. One of my dearest friends was close to him, and his best friend was the husband of my best friend. At various points - and with almost annoying consistency - they all kept insisting: “You guys would be great together.”

This stubborn matchmaking culminated in a party that, unbeknownst to me, was arranged with the goal of artfully, though not quite subtly, nudging us together. 

I was taking a moment to myself later in the evening, dipping my feet in the pool and savoring my glass of wine - and realized that everything had gone quiet. Everyone had moved inside, with the exception of Josh. I found out after the fact that this was deliberate. Our friends had ushered everyone away and had even gone so far as to strategically place the Bluetooth speaker close to us and set some mood music (they’re ridiculous, and also the best).

I remember him asking, “What could go wrong?”

And my response: “All the things.”

Nearly five years later, and all the things have gone right. It’s been a joy to raise our kids together, to build a home together, to travel and play together. It’s a partnership that’s been challenging in all the best ways, and easy in all the important ways.