Owen joked he was my boyfriend the first day we met, I smiled, never imagining how true it would become. He kept asking, gently waiting, while I told myself I wasn’t ready. But in every laugh, every late-night talk, the quiet way he always showed up… he became everything. My best friend. My heart. Love had been growing in front of me. Then one night, I looked at him, and my soul just knew. I kissed him, and in that moment, I found home. He’d been the one all along. :)

One of my absolute favorite memories was planning Owen’s surprise birthday. I invited all his closest friends and we kept it a secret for a whole week, even his mom helped and mailed the sweetest cake. He thought we were just going to dinner with a couple of friends, but when he walked in and everyone yelled surprise, his face lit up like I’ve never seen. Later he hugged me and said no one had ever done anything like that for him. Making him feel that loved made my heart so full.

If we won the $20,000, we’d finally take the leap and start the business we’ve always dreamed about together. We’ve talked so much about building something of our own, something that combines our passions and strengths, and this would give us the chance to turn that dream into a reality. It would be the first step toward building a future not just as a young couple, but as business partners too.