Jacob and Athena’s story began long before either of them realized it. They crossed paths in high school without ever knowing that one day they would fall in love. Even more unbelievably, they had spent their whole lives living just two minutes away from one another without knowing it. Years later, God kept putting them in each other’s orbit, most often at their local 24 Hour Fitness. They exchanged glances more than once but never quite found the courage to say hello, until a few flirty Instagram story likes and one lucky run in at the gym finally changed everything.

When they did start talking, they immediately hit it off, so much so that they completely forgot Jacob’s little brother, Joaquin, was awkwardly standing beside them while they flirted. In that short conversation they discovered they both went to Cal State East Bay and were graduating that upcoming spring. As Joaquin patiently waited, Jacob asked for Athena’s number so they could keep talking.

That night Jacob texted Athena and never heard back. On Athena’s end, she waited anxiously for his message that never came. Both were too proud to message one another on Instagram, so they each assumed the other was not interested. Determined to say something in person, Athena tried to accidentally run into him at the gym, only to find he had mysteriously disappeared. What she did not know was that Jacob had started going at five in the morning because of a new work schedule, hours Athena reserved strictly for snoozing.

About a month later Athena finally spotted him at the gym again. Still feeling frustrated, she walked right up to him demanding answers. That is when Jacob showed her his phone. He had texted her. In that moment they realized the truth. Athena had accidentally given him the wrong number. Embarrassed and relieved, they finally reconnected and started texting.

They tried to set up a date, but their busy schedules never aligned. Slowly the messages faded and once again they assumed it just was not meant to be. Months passed with nothing but the occasional Instagram like.

Then one day Athena was sitting in her car before a workout, blasting EDM and drinking pre workout, when Jacob recognized her car and tapped on her window, nearly giving her a heart attack. They walked into the gym together, laughed about everything that had happened, and finally decided to stop overthinking it. The next day became their first date.

They took BART to San Francisco in the middle of the day and did not come home until two in the morning. They went to several restaurants, saw a comedy show, explored the city, and danced at a small joint until the owner kicked them out. Exhausted, they fell asleep in the taxi ride home with their heads resting on each other. The goodbye was hard, but they made sure to see each other the next day, and the day after that, and every day since.

Three and a half years later Jacob and Athena have traveled the world together, from Mexico, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii. They have built a life side by side and even adopted their beloved dog, Tahini. This past October, Jacob proposed to Athena in Kauai, turning a beautiful trip into a life changing moment they will never forget. The moment was so meaningful and full of love that they decided there was no place more perfect to say “I do” than right there where they got engaged.

What started with missed connections, wrong phone numbers, and near misses at the gym turned into the love they were always meant to find. And now they are ready for their greatest adventure yet, forever together.