2010 was a great year. New Hampshire legalized same-sex marriage, Apple released the first iPad, Lady Gaga wore a dress made entirely out of meat, and Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" dominated the charts. It was also the year that Jacob sat next to Bridget in Ms. Signor's eighth grade science class. Ms. Signor had hoped that Bridget's work ethic and lack of chatter during class would improve Jake's grades. Bridget's grade dipped from an A to a C+ within months.

Realizing her mistake, Ms. Signor rearranged the seating, but the damage was done. Jake and Bridget became fast friends. They stayed that way through the rest of eighth grade, and though into high school their closeness ebbed and flowed, they remained friends.

In 2015, their senior year of high school, Jake heard from a reliable source that Bridget had broken up with her boyfriend. Something "clicked" in his brain, and before he knew it, he was searching through his phone, hoping her number was the same as it was in middle school, hoping she was free Friday night.

She was.

Weeks turned into months, and Jake and Bridget realized that time spent together was much more fun than time spent apart. Months turned into years, and they worked and put themselves through college. After saving for what felt like ages, in 2019, they moved into a teeny little apartment right outside of downtown Manchester. Three months later, Jacob proposed in their living room.

To date, it has been thirteen years since they met, eight years since their first date, and three years since their engagement. Each year presents its own challenges, its own delights, its own sorrows, its own joys.

2023 looks like it's shaping up to be a good one.