Sometimes, it takes the long way around.
For the Farren-Parnells, Cupid didn’t strike instantly.
When Rowan walked into his sixth-grade graduation, romance wasn’t on his mind.
What he didn’t know was that he had just met the girl who would one day become his wife, the mother of his child, and his favourite person.
It just took a decade, a few school camps, a shared high school at Wanganui and a well-timed introduction to make it official.
Joy and Rowan grew up minutes apart in Shepparton, moving through the same circles without ever quite colliding.
Her cousin was his best friend.
They both studied at La Trobe University Shepparton.
Years later, Rowan even found Joy’s signature on his primary school graduation bear, a quiet reminder of how long their lives had been intersecting.
It wasn’t until 2024 that a nudge from a mutual friend turned near misses into a first date.
Now, they’re preparing to welcome their first child in April, a full-circle moment, as both were born at GV Health and plan to welcome their baby there too.
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