Darren and Laura have known each other as long as they can remember. They were in the same class together at school. They attended the same church. Their parents were friends, and so they often played together as children. But in high school, something changed. Maybe it was just a part of growing up, when childish things are put away, when boys grow into men and girls become women, and things are awkward and different. For several years, Darren and Laura never even exchanged one word. And, yet, try as they might, they couldn't forget about one another, either. They found that their eyes often sought out the other. "I guess we both knew that there was something special between us," Laura recalled.

Finally, after graduation, Darren made a move. Always a true gentleman, he reached out to Laura's dad, asking permission to date his daughter. Upon receiving consent, Darren then nervously approached Laura, only to find her very receptive. The two resumed their close friendship, almost as if no time at all had passed.

That Thanksgiving, Darren requested Laura join him for a walk out at Lake North. There, he asked for her hand in marriage. "I was very shocked. It was completely unexpected," Laura laughed when she told me the story. But, her answer was a very happy "yes."

The two will continue doing what they love -- serving in their church, singing and playing instruments, and spending time with their family and younger siblings. Their common faith and their love for each other will unite them as they spend the rest of their lives together, continuing to build the friendship they started so many years ago.

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