We’ve been together for nearly eight years—and like many good stories, ours began in a place neither of us expected. Back in 2018, Alexis was in her second year of residency in urologic surgery and rotated through the surgical ICU, where Kevin was working as a critical care nurse. One overnight shift, we cared for a very sick patient together—the kind that reshapes how you see medicine, and your role within it. A few days later, Kevin handed Alexis a sticky note with his phone number and suggested they get together. For those who know Alexis well, you can imagine how that went. Making plans proved… aspirational—especially in the thick of surgical training. There were cancellations, dinners cut short, and more than a few dates that ended with Alexis nodding off mid-conversation. But Kevin had seen his own parents navigate medicine, and he understood this chapter, while intense, wouldn’t last forever. So he stayed the course. He even pushed back anesthesia school by a year to better support Alexis—making breakfast for her and her co-resident Kit Yuen, volunteering for long drives to Detroit to visit her family, and becoming an expert in patience and flexibility. Then came a global pandemic. While much of the world slowed down in 2020, life intensified for us in one of the hardest-hit regions of the country. Kevin spent countless nights on the ICU frontlines. In a very on-brand coping strategy, we became dog parents to a vibrant vizsla named Pema. The years that followed in Rochester brought some of our happiest memories: backyard sunflowers, weekends in Skaneateles with Kevin’s parents, and winter nights exploring downtown with Pema. From early on, we made a conscious decision: our relationship would support our ambitions, not stand in their way. It mattered that neither of us felt held back—that our partnership gave us the freedom to pursue complicated (audacious?!) paths, knowing we’d always have each other to come home to. So when Kevin was accepted to a Nurse Anesthesia program at Gannon University in Erie in 2022, Alexis helped him pack up—plants, dog, and all. And when Alexis was offered an oncology fellowship at MD Anderson in 2023, Kevin encouraged her to go, even knowing it would mean more distance. In a stroke of timing, Alexis’ longtime friend Alex Sova was also headed to Houston, and they reunited as roommates after nearly 20 years apart. Facing two more years of long distance, Kevin proposed over Memorial Day weekend in 2023 at Highland Park in Rochester with a beautiful yellow diamond—perfectly Alexis. Her mom was there to celebrate, bubbly in hand. As medical trainees living 1,400 miles apart, we knew a large wedding would have to wait. Instead, we got our marriage license in the hometown of Punxsutawney Phil and were quietly married in Erie, with Chris Steinmetz as our witness. Somewhere along the way—and after overcoming a few seemingly insurmountable obstacles—we welcomed our first child, Ira Patrick, in January 2025. When people ask how we managed a newborn while living in different states, we usually suggest directing those questions to Auntie Sova. For us, this has always been about the long game. When asked how many years my grandparents had been together, my Grandpa Shirley liked to say, “Who counts the years of a life sentence?” Cheeky, yes—but coming from one of the greatest examples of enduring love we know, it always stuck with us. Because the truth is, knowing we were building a life together made the distance, the night shifts, the 100-hour weeks, and everything in between feel bearable. And now, the best part: the whole gang is finally back together in upstate New York! We’re so excited to celebrate this chapter—our story—with all of you who have supported us along the way. Truly, we wouldn’t be here without you. We love you all—and hope to see you in Detroit!!!