This is my portrait of my wife, Kaylea, and our story of love everlasting.

Blue for eternity, the color of the endless expanse of the sky and depths of the ocean.

It was my 7th grade year during our end of year school band celebration. As the party was dismissed, I saw Kaylea for the first time. She was walking out with her friends and laughing, a laugh that was kind and genuine. I told myself that I would find her the next year.

That summer I joined the high school marching band to play in the percussion ensemble in the pit, uncommon for a middle schooler. As fate aligned, Kaylea grew up playing the piano and also joined the pit that summer. We dated for 8 months and stayed dear friends throughout high school and college. We dated other people, but when I would envision the idea of marriage, I would always think back to Kaylea and as her being the only one. It’s an amazing thing meeting one’s soulmate at 13 years old.

Fate meddled once more, and I transferred to the same college as Kaylea. Kaylea and I got back together nearly as soon as I arrived, and we have been together ever since. If our life story were to be written, it would be that of a great love story, with great obstacles to overcome to be together, climactic battles with the villains, and being reunited at last with love overcoming any obstacle. Our happy ending feels like the beginning of our next story because in 2 months our first child will be born, we have decided to name him Liam, which means brave warrior.