It all started on a flip-cup table. We both joined a new summer kickball team and met at the first team get-together of the season. Our captain and mutual friend had told both of us that two of his straight friends had joined the team as well, but he did not tell us who they were. We both thought that each other was one of the "straights". The group started playing drinking games and the things ended up with the two of us facing off 1:1 on the flip cup table. During that heated final match we started to realize that maybe there was a mutual interest there. It wasn't until a few weeks later when the team went to our favorite gay bar that we realized that we were both "playing for the same team" so to speak. The rest is history.

John Michael decided over Christmas 2018 that it was time to take the next step and ask Bill to be his partner for life. He picked out the rings and started planning for the big day. Bill had always wanted to have his family involved somehow, so John Michael decided to plan something over Easter when we were going to be in Boston with Bill's family. The day we flew up to Boston we had a connection through JFK. Unfortunately our connecting flight to Boston was cancelled and we could not get another one until the next morning. The proposal was planned for that very evening, so without panicking and without blowing the surprise John Michael grabbed us a rental car and we made the 5 hour trek up I-95 to Boston. John Michael's plan was to walk through the Boston Public Garden and pop the question down beside the lake. He had arranged for four friends to be there for the big moment to capture pictures and celebrate. The surprise was almost spoiled when Bill spotted one of the friends too early, but John Michael distracted him and powered through to get down to the lake. He pulled Bill aside under a huge willow tree right next to the water and got down on one knee. Bill said YES!!! The whole Public Garden cheered as our four friends all came rushing in for hugs and pictures. It was quite a moment! The surprise wasn't over yet though! John Michael had arranged for some of Bill's family to be waiting to surprise him at Top of the Hub restaurant. As John Michael was trying to hurry everyone along, the surprise got blown up by another friend who said "Why do we have to hurry, doesn't your family already have a table held for us?" Cue collective facepalm. Despite lack of the big surprise we had a blast with his family and then hit the town with our friends for a night of dancing and free drinks (courtesy of our "This Guy Just Got Engaged" t-shirts) at Club Cafe in downtown Boston.

We are so excited to celebrate this special day with you as we start the next chapter in our lives. See you in DC!!