Gallery

It was August 2020, the city hot and sick. Biking in Brownsville, Abby admired this beautiful mural. Then, that night on OkCupid, she found a person named "ilovesodafloats" who had the same mural as a profile pic. It turned out he'd been one of the designers and painters.

From the start, the two were very open with each other. They talked about their artistic passions, their childhoods in different parts of Brooklyn, and their desire for monogamous marriage. They dated on Google Hangouts. Then Abby went to a writer's retreat in the forest, and Manny sent snail mail.

It was not until October that they finally met in person, at Battery Park. This photo is from their second in-person date, when they finally spent time indoors together. Their first embrace was a very long one, a much awaited one.

In February, 2021, Manny and his sister Tasia fell ill with Covid. The relationship returned to video chat for several weeks, and Abby nearly lost her mind in Manny's absence.

Creeping out of the long, hard winter, they bought an ice cream cone and a soda float from a truck, and ate it outside together, in a spot in the Village without too many people.

In April, they jumped at the chance to get vaccines! But landing a convenient appointment was harder than playing "Strike a Light" at an arcade. They rode the ferry & biked to Coney Island to get Abby's shots, and then biked all the way to East New York for Manny's.

Their first trip together to The Strand! Watch Manny carefully. He's secretly taking notes about all the books Abby wants to buy.

They spent their first vacation at Ocean Grove, the Jersey shore, in the summer of 2021. Think pina coladas, Christian camp tents, tiny historical societies cramped with old trinkets.

The world was alive again. Dorothy and Howard could hold concerts outdoors. This was Manny's first time seeing the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra, on the lawn outside the Old Stone House in Park Slope.

They got really sweaty hiking up Beacon Mountain. Manny also loved the spaciousness of the Dia.

Manny boarded his first plane to meet the Savitch family in northern California. Then the couple explored Japantown in San Francisco. This is shortly after Manny practices incredible self restraint in the gigantic Kinokuniya.

In December 2021, Abby took Manny to the Bronx Botanical Gardens GLOW light show to celebrate his 30th birthday.

On February 12, 2022, Abby wrote an elaborate chalk poem that began at Manny's Loft and extended all the way down to the Hudson River. He followed the poem to the river, where she proposed to him on one knee. "Really? You're sure?" Manny said, tearing up. Two days later, Valentines Day, Abby had class in the evening. But Manny surprised Abby by showing up at her door in Jersey City at 10 pm, bringing a rose.

In May 2022, for Abby's 30th birthday, Manny presented Abby with one of the books she'd wanted from The Strand. He cooked her favorite, his pulled pork.

In January 2023, they took the MetroNorth to Paterson, New Jersey to see The Great Falls of the Passaic River. It was beautiful...but polluted. A random stranger tried to convince Manny to become an illustrator for The New Yorker.

In December 2023, at long last, Manny, Abby, Tasia, Moo Moo, and all the stuffed animals moved to Brooklyn together.