Our story began in Chicago. Yesenia was the Chicago Recruiting Commander and Kayla was an Army Reserve Commander. On October 14, 2023, Yesenia stopped by Kayla’s unit to support one of her Soldiers during a class taught over drill weekend. Neither of us expected that a professional interaction would be the beginning of something meaningful.

We exchanged texts afterward and agreed to meet up. It wasn’t meant to be a date, just two Soldiers connecting as friends while visiting a haunted house. But sometimes, the best relationships begin with no pressure at all. That night, something sparked. A few days later, Kayla celebrated Yesenia’s birthday with her, and by November 8, 2023, what began as friendship had grown into something so much more.

Since then, we’ve shared birthdays, holidays, and countless memories across the country and the world. We’ve supported each other through change of commands, life transitions, and big dreams. Our adventures have taken us from Amsterdam to Mexico City.

Though we came from different places, our paths aligned perfectly. What began as a friendship built on mutual respect and shared service quickly blossomed into love—and now, we can’t wait to begin this next chapter together as forever partners!

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