Sophia Bush Says Girlfriend Ashlyn Harris 'Better Live Forever' in Sweet Birthday Tribute: 'First of Many Together’

Sophia Bush is feeling lucky in love.

The actress paid tribute to her girlfriend Ashlyn Harris on Oct. 20 in a sweet Instagram post as she described the soccer player as "the sun, in human form."

"You light up the world and warm each and every person you touch. There is no one like you, and everyone who knows you knows it’s true." Bush, 42, wrote of Harris, 39.

"We are all so lucky. And I am the absolute luckiest. First of many together (You better live forever, woman, we have adventures to go on!)," she continued. "Happy Birthday baby. I love you with my whole soul."

This year marks the first birthday Bush is celebrating publicly as Harris' girlfriend, as last year, the two had just begun seeing each other at this time. A source told PEOPLE in October 2023 that Bush and Harris "went out on their first dinner date a couple of weeks ago" after "being friends for years."

The date came after both Bush and Harris had divorced their previous partners, Grant Hughes and Ali Krieger, respectively.

They made their debut as a couple in March at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's annual Oscars viewing party, and then made their red carpet debut together a month later at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

Over the summer, Harris celebrated Bush's birthday with a tribute that was equally gushing as the One Tree Hill star's as she wrote, "I love everything about you."

Bush reflected on her journey over the last year — she came out in Glamour's April cover story — as she called Harris "the very best love."

"Thank you for putting me back together. For making my second birthday even better than my first. And for reminding me what the sound of my unbridled laughter sounds like," Bush wrote in a comment on Harris' post. "You are magic. You are my best present. ✨."

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Her comment referenced what she wrote in an essay for her Glamour cover, which is that she finally felt "real joy" after coming to terms with her sexuality.

"I feel like I was wearing a weighted vest for who knows how long. I hadn’t realized how heavy it was until I finally just put it down," she wrote. "This might sound crazy—but I think other people in trauma recovery will get it—I am taking deep breaths again. I can feel my legs and feet. I can feel my feet in my shoes right now. It makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time."