It was the beginning of the end. Senior Year.

Like every good love story, our protagonists were unlikely candidates for a happy marriage. Before the year had started, they had met up for coffee and, although they were friends, things were dull and somewhat offsetting. As far as either Aaron or Julie knew, this was just the same person they had met, freshman year, 1st-year theory with Dr. Brown; only three years more educated. This was to go down as just "another year" at SPU.

In the middle of September, the first meeting of Unlimited, the performing arts group at SPU in which Aaron and Julie were selected to be a part of, commenced. Everyone met on campus and drove out to Discovery Park for some "get-to-know-ya" games and quality time. Things seemed light-hearted and comfortably shallow. That was the first day of fourteen long days at SPU, practicing music and "group bonding." During these two weeks, the 10 members of the group were quickly drawn into deep friendship with each other. These friendships lasted well beyond those two weeks, and as the 1st quarter passed, every friendship was strengthened and solidified. Throughout the quarter, Julie and Aaron began to realize how truly well they worked together, and went from friends, to best friends really quick.

5 of these friends, again, including Julie and Aaron, decided that after the 1st quarter, that they should go on a road-trip to Disneyland. This trip included humor and drama, but more than anything, it fortified the friendships and bonds between the group, and more importantly, our protagonists. Julie was left in Southern California with her family, as was Aaron in Northern California, with his parents.

It just so happened that Christmas for Aaron, that year, was to be held in Southern California. On Christmas Eve, Aaron, and his friend Matt, were to go early and pick up his grandmother and secure the hotel room, while the rest of the family made a late-night drive. When Aaron got to Anaheim, he phoned Julie, who was an hour and a half away, and they arranged to meet at "a central location." They stayed on the phone, Aaron driving south while Julie driving North, and waited until their cars met each other in the middle. The closest central location?

A Chevron gas station in Corona, CA.

This meeting was a deep breath for them both. A huge hug was exchanged, as well as stories from family Christmas. There was much discussion about what they would do when they got back to Seattle, how much they missed everyone, and a little discussion as to why they met up so late, and had gone to such an effort to meet. They convinced themselves that it was because they "represented the rest of Unlimited" to each other, and them meeting was like "meeting with everyone." At this point, God was already stirring the pots of their hearts. Over two hours later and many repetitions of Jon Foreman's House of God Forever on the radio, the two parted ways.

The first day of the new year held the first realization of love between the two of them. Aaron, being asked to pick up Julie from the train station, had a wonderful time with Julie, as friends of course, and thought, "We should go to dinner at my favorite Thai place." Something was in the Pad Thai that night, because after a great dinner, and a big hug goodnight, Aaron left Julie's apartment, completely oblivious to the stirring in his heart. Getting home late, he climbed into bed, and no sooner had his head hit the pillow, when it hit him.

"I'm in love with Julie Smith."

"How did it happen?!? We are just best friends!!"

He ignored it over the next few days but it kept pressing on him.

"I'm in love with Julie Smith."

He went to his friend, Matt(different matt,) for advice, and they both agreed it would be best to do nothing. That night Aaron prayed for guidance, and in a moment of clarity, he distinctly heard from the Father, "Wait."

"How Long?' No answer. "If i wait, will i get her?" No answer.

"Can i tell her that I'm waiting?"

"No."

"Can i tell her friends?"

"No."

Thus begun the longest three weeks of Aaron's life. Never had he been so sure of his feelings for a woman, and such an amazing woman at that. Yet he was held back by the One who Aaron trusted the most. But on the other side, the stirring began in Julie's heart. On one particular night, Julie met with her roommates for dinner, and when asked how her week was going, she responded with, "I'm in love with Aaron Davidson."

The questions began to flood in. "What??!?! Since when? Did he tell you?'

"No."

"Did he kiss you?"

"No."

"Have you talked about it at all?"

"No. I just know that i love him, and that he loves me. And we kind of like the way it is now."

She was right. Aaron had began to recognize the feelings of reciprocation from Julie and the week before. His excitement began to build, as did hers, and they entered into a week full of unspoken promises of love, and looks of delight and attraction that filled their heads of dreams, song lyrics, and memories that they would come to treasure and share with their best of friends.

On January 22nd, 2009, the silence was broken. After a night of good coffee, a bad movie, and wonderful procrastination, Julie and Aaron sat in his Xterra for a long conversation, as they had so many nights before. The radio broke the silence, with Jon Foreman, singing, "I think I figured it out. We need to be together, like the shore and the sea. We are not one thing, we're drawn here together, my ocean, and me..... I dream to hold you in my arms."

The moment was ripe, and Aaron couldn't hold it in anymore. He had waited long enough. It was time to take action. As he was about to confess his love, Julie spoke:

"Did He ask you to wait too?"

The silence was broken, and to fill it over the next few hours, the two began to explain all the feelings in their heart, and recite the memories of the last few weeks, of each time they wanted to tell each other, but knew they couldn't. The night was the best night of their lives, even if they didn't know it then.

That night was the starting point of days, weeks, months filled with late night talks in the Xterra, kisses backstage, and delicious Pad Thai. As the year progressed, all of their friends knew that they were gone. They had found what they were looking for. It wasn't weird to hear that they wanted to get married. It was so evident that they were meant for each other.

The academic year finished, and they graduated. Julie left for two weeks on a trip to Honduras. A few days after she left, Aaron bought the engagement ring. It was perfect, and little did he know, it was the exact shop she wanted her ring bought from. When Julie and Aaron were finally re-united in late July, they packed their bags and left for Los Angeles, with two friends ready to do life somewhere else with them.

Their love grew and matured well beyond what they had experienced in Seattle. Their love was tested by stressful situations, roommate issues, and financial problems. But with each problem they faced, they were stronger in themselves, and in their love for one another.

On the one year anniversary of the silence being broken, Aaron snuck Julie out to a little Chevron in Corona, CA, gave her a book with this story in it, and a small box, containing a ring that symbolized his love for her. It was there that he asked her to be his wife.

And they lived happily ever after....