In the summer of 2021, we were both navigating the high-pressure world of a restaurant kitchen—one of us thriving, or at least surviving, in the chaos, and the other stepping in for the first time, eager to prove themselves. Aric had mastered the art of controlled chaos, dishing out perfectly cooked meals while fending off clueless requests from servers. Then came Rose. On her first day, determined to make a good impression, she approached the executive chef for barbeque sauce. He sent her straight to the hot-line with three words: “Go ask Aric.” So, with zero hesitation, Rose stepped into the kitchen war zone and called out, “Who is Aric?” From behind a cloud of steam, Aric turned, looking like a man asked to solve world peace in the middle of a dinner rush. “Me. What?” he barked. “I need a side of barbeque sauce,” Rose said. “What kind?” Aric shot back, bracing for the inevitable confusion. “The barbeque kind,” she replied, matching his tone without missing a beat. Aric wasn’t amused. He launched into a lecture on the four types of barbeque sauce before Rose cut him off: “Just pick one and put it in a dish, or tell me where they are and I’ll do it myself.” In that moment, Aric decided Rose was one of the most exasperating people he’d ever met. But her sass and fearlessness stuck with him—though he’d never admit it. Rose, however, was immediately smitten. For months, Aric stuck to his “no dating coworkers” policy, but Rose was nothing if not persistent. She even quit her job to remove the obstacle. Aric called it ridiculous; Rose called it effective. Over time, her charm chipped away at his defenses, and before he knew it, he was laughing at her jokes and admiring her determination. As our relationship grew, Rose brought joy and laughter into Aric’s world, and Aric taught Rose the value of patience and taking life one perfectly crafted dish at a time. Now, after years of love, laughter, and spirited debates over who was more rude during our first conversation, we’re ready to start our next chapter—one full of warmth, humor, and maybe just a touch of barbeque sauce. This Valentine’s Day, we can’t wait to celebrate our perfectly seasoned love with the people we love most.