In June of 2023, Kevin was away in the mountains with friends—eating, drinking, and of course, swiping away on Hinge as any single millennial does on a day out. (We’re in our thirties; our time in bars is midday.) Meanwhile, across the country in the booming metropolis of Sycamore, IL, Maggie was visiting family and decided, after some time away from dating, she was ready to give it another go. And what a go it’s been! Unsurprisingly, Maggie made the first move, unable to resist a photo of PCT Kevin in his infamous once-white hiking shirt, fruity drink in hand. Kevin quickly reciprocated and hit Maggie with a critical relationship question: “Who is the real hero in Harry Potter?” For those who’ve known Maggie a long time, two things are true: she loves Harry Potter, and she loves winning an argument. The two went back and forth—Hermione vs. Dobby vs. Neville vs. Snape—until finally exchanging numbers. (This debate is still ongoing.) While both wanted to meet right away, Maggie’s visit home was, like the debate, ongoing. So for two weeks, they texted nonstop. Kevin’s friends nicknamed Maggie “Paragraph Girl” for her long texts (I mean, look how long this website is) while Kevin—normally a bad texter—was the exact opposite with her. Their first date finally happened hours after Maggie landed back in Denver—at City Park Jazz. An inside joke kicked things off when Kevin showed up in socks and sandals (don’t worry, he changed). They spent the night listening to live jazz, drinking homemade espresso martinis (Kevin made them!), and yappin’ away. The night didn’t end there. After introducing each other to Fernet Branca and Malört and stopping into what’s now their favorite bar, the PS Lounge, they were hooked. Since then, it’s been Kevin and Maggie, nonstop. After Maggie forcibly deleted both of their dating apps, the two were inseparable—swapping stories about their many allergies, love of dogs, shared values (one of which is loving dogs), and dreams for the future. They moved in together in April 2024 and built a life they love in City Park. Regulars at all the local spots, they’ve found their home both literally and in each other. In January 2025, they added Wally—their beloved pup—to the mix, making their little family complete. They’ve traveled to Portugal and Hawaii, New York and Chicago, Italy (we’ll get to that), and all over Colorado—turned their car into a camper van and explored the Southwest—sharing a passion for adventure (and like, absolute leisure) and a belief that life’s meant to be lived outside the workplace. Their most recent travels took them to Italy, where Kevin surprised Maggie by getting down on one knee and, shaky hands and all, proposing. For Maggie, whose mom was so excited to learn about the family’s Italian heritage, it was the perfect nod to the past while starting a future. Maggie had no chill, screamed like the loudmouth American she is, and the two celebrated with a beautiful dinner and many well-wishes from back home. They’ve had what they consider the best beginning—through both amazing moments and incredibly hard ones—and know that together, they’ll continue to live life to the fullest, support each other through challenges, and celebrate each other not only in the big moments, but every day. And now comes the next big moment: marriage! This chapter of their story wouldn’t be complete without all of you. Each of you reading has been part of their journey so far and will continue to be part of what comes next. (It's Maggie, you should have expected this novel). 😉