Every love story starts somewhere, and theirs started at work, proof that sometimes the best things in life are hiding in the most unexpected places. Alex noticed Tia pretty quickly, though "noticing" turned into a slow, slightly clumsy campaign to actually get her attention. Let's just say persistence was doing a lot of the heavy lifting in those early days. After more attempts than he'd probably like to admit, and a not-so-subtle assist from Stroud, who clearly deserves some credit in this story Tia finally agreed. Not to a date but to going drinking. That night ended up being the real beginning, capped off in true fashion when Alex, in a moment either incredibly smooth or incredibly bold (depending on who's telling it) picked Tia up off a table for a kiss. Turns out that's all it took. Persistence: 1, playing it cool: 0. From there, things moved fast in the best way. Countless nights out, questionable dance moves that if you asked Tia, should never see the light of day again and late-night snack runs that became a defining feature of their relationship. Somewhere in the middle of all that, "seeing each other" quietly turned into "we're inseparable," and neither of them looked back. Before long, the two of them plus Alex's dog Monkey, who quickly became a package deal, decided to make it official and bought their first home together. Though if you ask Monkey, she'll tell you a very different version of events, one where she chose Tia and simply allowed the humans to think it was mutual. These days, life looks a lot like it did back then, just with better furniture and a mortgage: full of love, a healthy amount of chaos and Monkey's unwavering, deeply held opinions about who's allowed on the good spot on the couch . Through all the milestones, the memories, the questionable dance move, and one very opinionated dog, Alex and Tia have built a life they wouldn't trade for anything. And now, they can't wait to stand in front of the people they love most and finally say "I do" starting the next chapter of a story that, honestly, has already been pretty great. (this was written by Alex)