Sometimes the best stories aren’t strange, dark or mysterious. Sometimes the twist is how it all worked out. So let’s get started…

One night at a bar I saw, through a crowd of people, a man with a smile that made my heart flutter. I knew I'd regret it if I didn’t take a chance and speak to him. So, with my heart pounding, I positioned myself in his path. When Franky walked past to put his drink down at the bar, I set aside my nerves and spoke up: “Are you trying to get in?”

The rest of the night was filled with easy conversation, laughter, and sparks that, six years later, are still alive and thriving.

November 2019 was only the beginning. Just a few months after our initial meeting, the world shut down. We did what we could to spend time together—movie nights over FaceTime, meeting up for dinner and eating separately in our own cars six feet apart, with Franky wearing a heavy-duty mask and us both in gloves, just so we could hug. Even stopping at Allie’s parents’ house at the end of the driveway just to say hi when Franky was in the area for work.

Gradually, the world "opened back up," and we were able to venture out. Dinner and a movie, watching crime stories on YouTube (mrballen a personal favorite), fishing, fairs, and mini golf are among some of our favorite things to do together.

Six years into our relationship, Franky still looks at me—his soon-to-be wife—like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. He surprises me with flowers, plans romantic dinners, pulls me into slow dances in the kitchen, and makes sure I know every day how deeply I’m loved.

I feel so lucky to have a partner who can set candles and flower petals on the table one day, then spin me around in the snow the next because he’s excited to watch a crime show and drink hot chocolate. I can’t wait to spend forever cherishing and growing the love we’ve built—because every day, I love him more and more.

Every day with Allison feels like a gift I never take for granted. The way she loves me—so gently, so faithfully—fills my heart in ways I didn’t even know were possible. She encourages me when I’m worn down, believes in me when I’m quiet, and reminds me every single day that I am never alone.

She packs my lunches with love, sends me off with kisses that stay with me all day, and when I come home after a long 10–12 hour day, I get wrapped in her arms like the world finally makes sense again. That hug… it resets me. It heals me. It’s my favorite place to be.

Loving her is the easiest, most beautiful thing I’ve ever done.

As we take our next steps into marriage, we are also vowing that our love will be the most essential part of our partnership because we've found each other. Finally.

Shout out #MrBallen