Before Cory ever met Lyly, his students were already her biggest fans. She stepped in to teach his class for the last month of the school year while he was away, thinking it’d be a short, one-time substitute job. But what started as a temporary gig quickly turned into something more. Lyly clicked with his kids right away — their energy, their chaos, their hilarious jokes — and walking away wasn’t so easy after that.

When the new school year rolled around, a mix of fate and school staffing brought them back together — this time with Lyly as Cory’s assistant teacher. From day one, their teamwork just worked. Before long, they weren’t just co-teaching; Lyly was helping with baby Sophia, chasing chickens around the school campus, showing up at races to cheer Cory on, and even giving beekeeping a try (which, to be fair, didn’t last long — but A for effort). She was always up for adventure and always there for him. In turn, whenever her car made a weird noise, her computer needed repair or something needed fixing, Cory was already on it.

What started in a Montessori classroom slowly turned into something more. Somewhere between lesson planning, parent information nights, kitchen disasters, camping trips, and chess tournaments, they built a real connection — one full of laughter, challenges, constant teasing, and a little healthy competition (yes, they keep score). Whether they’re teaming up or trying to one-up each other, they’ve never stopped having fun — and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Now, three years later, Cory, Lyly, and Sophia are off to their next adventure — this time in Arizona. No matter where life takes them, one thing’s for sure: they’ve found their forever team.