The first moment I knew I loved her more than anything in the universe was in 2014. It was our first Valentine's Day together, and I was only fourteen. I was at my aunt's house, laying on the couch, ignoring everything around me because all of my attention was on the tiny screen in front of my face. She told me she loved me. We always said we loved each other, but it was always just a passing comment. It's because we were best friends, but it was obvious we were way more.

Today, when she told me she loved me, she meant that she loved me. I loved her just as much...maybe even more.

That was four years ago, and my love for her has only grown since then.

I'm not sure when I realized that I wanted to spend my life with her. Maybe it sometime during our first Skype calls. We would stay up until six in the morning every weekend talking the night away. We talked about anything and everything—where we grew up, our favorite foods, if we believe in aliens, embarrassing childhood stories. We learned every little thing about each other, but no matter how many conversations we had, I wanted to know more about this girl.

Sometime along the way, conversations that would usually be about us individually turned into conversations about us. We talked about where we would want to live, how our wedding would look, and how many kids we wanted. We were just two kids getting way too ahead of ourselves, but I still want everything we talked about years ago. And yeah, we are kinda still kids, but we're growing up together.

I wouldn't want to go through life with anyone else.

I get hit with a ton of bricks sometimes realizing how much I love her.

A few months ago I went to her little sister's quinceañera. I can't even begin to explain how scared I was—excited but terrified. I would be meeting all of her family for the first time. Even though my hands were incredibly sweaty and my heart was beating so loud I could hear it, I calmed down after a while of being there. Her family was so kind and fun to be around.

I ended up having one of the best nights ever. It was the first time I saw the family side of her, and I loved it. I remember one specific moment where I looked around and saw everyone smiling, laughing, singing, and dancing. I looked over at her, and she had the biggest smile on her face. I thought about how lucky I was to be a part of her life, and I never wanted it to end.

We've been together for so long, and she still makes me feel like I did when we first met. It's cheesy and sappy—maybe even a little cringe worthy—but I truly love her. She's currently enlisted in the army and leaves later this month. I'm so very proud of her for everything she has accomplished, and I'll continue to support her through thick and thin.

My point in all of this is that love isn't dead even in today's generation. There's someone who will make you feel like you're floating on clouds without a care in the world, will push you to be your very best self, and that you'll love even when they get on nerves you didn't even know you had.

Thank you for being my forever, Monique.