Who would have guessed a few coincidental college hallway run-ins would turn into such a beautiful love story. Derek and Alex noticed each other instantly when she transferred into Aurora University, but both acted coy playing cat and mouse until the timing was just right. Let’s just say they were waiting for destiny to take its course and that's exactly what happened. Derek was the President of his Professional Sales Association at the time and Alex had just recently pioneered a new Human Rights Organization on their school’s campus. That day the university was holding an event where all clubs on campus met at the gym in attempt to recruit new members. Though it was blizzarding out and Alex slid off the road into a ditch; motivated and determined to grow her organization she continued her trip to campus. Once there, her attention was caught by a tall blue-eyed guy that reminded her of her very first celebrity crush, Paul Walker; luckily it was Derek under some fatefully flattering gymnasium lighting! Derek saw Alex as well and had a racing heart as she walked up to his table and began her flirting that was cleverly disguised as her pitching Derek to join her newly formed club. Though Derek can’t say he remembers a single word she said about her organization, he was immediately struck by Alex's larger than life personality. As Alex walked away Derek chased her down, tapped her on the shoulder and made his move. A few weeks later over some extremely salty pesto pasta, two-buck chuck Trader Joes’ wine and a tipsy game of Jenga their love was found and as the stories go... the rest was history. Fast forward nine years and they’ve survived and thrived their 20s together, traveled the world, chased their passions, grew their careers, adopted their pride and joy pup Haisley, survived a pandnemic in a city apartment together and brunched their way through the Windy City!