Bruce Biggs and Kalyn Hoppe first met on a crisp autumn day 18 years ago, while Bruce was home on leave from the Military. Across the room, Kalyn, a vibrant and creative woman with an infectious laugh, was watching the room full of people and her heart skipped a beat as the military fatigued Gentleman walked through the front door. They were worlds apart—he, grounded in the tangible, and she, lost in the abstract—but fate had other plans.

As he walked in Kalyn stood up to introduce herself to him as she had been staying in his home for almost a month and had already been friends with his baby sister for years. In that moment, their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them—a spark, a connection.

In 2015 Bruce and Kalyn met back up for dinner to catch up, and they spent the afternoon talking. What started as an apology of not seeing each other turned into hours of laughter, shared stories, and dreams. Bruce found himself captivated by Kalyn’s adventurous spirit, while Kalyn was drawn to Bruce’s quiet strength and his ability to find beauty in the simplest things.

But life, as it tends to, changed the course of their relationship. Bruce faced a devastating loss and Kalyn faced a devastating challenge. They withdrew into their own worlds, retreating from the social circle that kept them together. Kalyn still spoke to his sister but he was never the same. He had been through the worst of society and had come out the other side a dark Knight covered in soot. She had seen the worst of society becoming a Dispatcher and working in Law, becoming the heroine of every phone call and radio call’s story. Love was not in the cards for either of them.

Then one day in Autumn 2022, when Kalyn was visiting his sister in Arizona she was put in a precarious situation. Bruce and Alisha’s father had begun to have a meltdown and Bruce’s Mom had passed away some years earlier. Kalyn’s parents were never close with his family and had no reason to go and check on him. Kalyn desperately tried to find a way to stop her friend from crying. It was when she went on Instagram and remembered that Bruce had liked her photos still.

She took a chance and sent him a message begging him for help. He laughed on his end. His father was always a drama King and he knew she was worrying for no reason. But this was his chance. His chance to finally tell the beautiful blonde how he felt about her. For the stars to finally align. He teased her about dating. Kalyn thinking he was only joking told him he would have to “put a ring on it” and “I like sapphires”. What Kalyn didn’t know is that Bruce was ordering a ring as they spoke.

Kalyn had to return to Sarasota, Florida on September 5th but had a 10 hour layover in Maryland on September 5th. She and Bruce had been texting the entirety of the rest of her trip. He promised to keep talking to her through her layover. Kalyn’s breath caught in her throat. She had always felt something for Bruce, but she had buried those feelings, afraid they would ruin the closeness they shared. But hearing his words, all the emotions she had suppressed flooded to the surface.

From that moment their phone in the airport started, their love blossomed, transforming the friendship they had nurtured for over a decade into a deep and lasting romance. Kalyn fell in love with the sound of his deep voice. Bruce and Kalyn talked about anything and everything. Friends, Family, Work, Dreams, Religion, Hope, Faith, but continued to dance around the subject- Could they be together?

Finally Kalyn arrived at the Sarasota Airport where her mother picked her up. Her mother asked her “is anyone coming over tonight?” “No,” Kalyn responded. She was sure the conversations that she and Bruce had had were just that, conversation. When she finally lugged her suitcases inside her little lady shed she looked at her phone. It was a text from Bruce. “Ready for me to come over?” Kalyn bit her lip and thought for a minute. YES she dialed into the phone and immediately raced to shower.

Bruce arrived at her house a short time later. He had something in his hand. A secret Kalyn didn’t know about. Kalyn heard the knock on her door. As she opened it Bruce stepped through the doorway with the ring in his hand. “I told you I was going to put a ring on it” and they both laughed when it was many sizes to big, but quickly the air became thick. He leaned in and kissed Kalyn and she kissed him back. The stars had finally aligned. Their traumas fell to the floor. All that was left in that moment was each other.

Bruce smiled, a soft, hopeful smile that reached his eyes. “Maybe the stars finally aligned.”

And they had. After years of being lost to each other, of living separate lives and growing in ways they couldn’t have together, Bruce and Kalyn had found their way back. This time, they were different—older, wiser, with a deeper understanding of what love required. They had learned that sometimes, you have to let go in order to find your way back.

And well…. you all know the rest.