2014 – How It Started

We met during summer school, both new students about to start at a new school. She had a way of standing out, even without trying. Too shy to start a conversation, he asked her to watch his bag while he walked around the school’s fish pond, pretending he had somewhere to go.

We became classmates for a few years. Somewhere along the way, he confessed his feelings. She was kind, but she just didn’t feel the same. So the story paused, though a part of his feelings quietly stayed with him.

2022 – Reconnecting

Years later, we crossed paths again. What started as small talk turned into real conversations. We laughed about old memories, shared what had changed, and realized how natural it felt to be around each other again.

He moved to Australia, where she was studying, and slowly, what began as catch-ups became something more. This time, we saw it the same way.

2023 – Long Distance

When he returned to Timor-Leste, we started a long-distance relationship. It wasn’t always easy, between time zones, busy days, and slow Wi-Fi. But we kept showing up in small ways, and slowly, the distance didn’t feel so far. What we had was worth holding on to.

2025 – The Proposal

While traveling in Japan with our families, he proposed. No big scene, just a question and a sentence that said everything:

“My happiness is seeing you happy. And I want that forever.”

She said yes.