You saw each other for the first time a little over three years ago. You had just moved to the Outer Banks and you and Rafe clicked immediately. When you met him for the first time, you knew right away that he was the one for you — and he felt the same. You would call it love at first sight.

From the very beginning, Rafe was different with you. He wasn’t that reckless, spoiled boy everyone talked about. With you, he was caring, loving, and gentle. You changed him a lot, even if you didn’t realize it at first.

During the first year of your relationship, you often talked about your future — marriage, moving in together, and even having kids. It surprised you, because you never imagined Rafe as a dad, but he always said that with you it would be different.

On your first anniversary, he proposed to you, and a few months later you stood at the altar and promised each other forever. Of course, it wasn’t always easy. The hardest time was when Rafe’s dad passed away, but you stayed with him and comforted him through it all.

A few months later, you started planning your future again. You wanted to think about having kids, but there was one thing you needed first — your own house. You were already living together in a beautiful beach house, but it wasn’t big enough for three people.

That’s when the search began — for a house big enough, in a place that felt right. It took only a few months before you found the perfect one. “It’s not perfect,” you said, looking at the cracked walls. “No,” Rafe replied, smiling, “but it will be.”

It was beautiful from the outside, at least, but inside it was chaos — broken floors and ceilings. Still, that didn’t stop you. “We’ll fix it,” Rafe said, his hand brushing yours. “Together.”

You bought the house and started renovating it. You did most of the work yourselves, like laying new floors, replastering and painting the walls. That experience was beautiful — not just because you did it with Rafe, but because you were creating your home exactly the way you wanted it.

Then you started picking out furniture for every single room, and you built it all together. Once that was done, you began decorating the house. It was the personal touch that truly made it yours.

When the house was finished, you both started working on the garden. Rafe built a white wooden fence while you planted flowers everywhere you thought they would look good. You added lights, small details, and even a little pool area that made it all feel like home.

And now, almost a year later, you stand in your garden, the evening sun falling softly on your house. It’s finally complete — every wall, every corner, every memory built by your hands. It wasn’t perfect, but it was yours.

Rafe wraps his arm around your shoulders and kisses your temple. “We did it, baby,” he whispers, his voice full of pride.

You smile, leaning into him, knowing that this — right here — is exactly what forever was meant to feel like.