We grew up in the same town, going to middle and high school together, and running in similar circles, but somehow, we never really connected back then. It took until June 2016 for our paths to really cross. At 26 and 27, we found ourselves on the dating apps and ended up coming across one another. At first, it was just a funny, easy conversation with a familiar face. Our first date was drinks in Boston, which quickly turned into hours of catching up - talking about where life had taken us over the past ten-plus years, what we wanted for the future, and plenty of funny stories in between. One date at Ward 8 turned into a second wandering through Boston Public Market, then a third with Thai food and a picnic in the park. Somewhere around June 24th… or maybe the 26th (we still can’t remember exactly), we started laughing together, and as cliche as it sounds, we haven’t really stopped since. A few months into dating, we decided to go skydiving for Shaun’s birthday. Since jumping out of a plane together wasn’t enough of a rush, we raced back to Boston, caught a Bruins game, cheered through an epic win, and then made our way to Hong Kong (and a few other favorite bars along the way). Somewhere between the excitement, endless laughter, and post-game celebrations, the all-important question was asked (by Brooke): “What are we?” And just like that…we made it official. Eight years later, on November 1, 2024, the day took (many) unpredictable turns. It started with a bit of a curveball, one of us (Brooke) had torn a meniscus on a morning run and could barely walk, but we still headed up to North Conway for the weekend, adjusting plans as we went. On the drive, we chatted, sang along to 2000s music, and discussed dinner plans when a casual suggestion for takeout turned into a quick stop that changed everything. That “quick stop” turned out to be Prescott Park, where Shaun had arranged a candlelit setup with the help of Jack and Em (Brooke’s brother and sister-in-law). As we got out of the car, Brooke looked around and said, “Is this for me?!” Shaun, of course, said “No!…Just kidding, it is for you!” (always keeping things interesting). We made our way over, Shaun walking, Brooke hobbling, to a spot filled with candles, flowers, and a picnic blanket, where Shaun asked Brooke to marry him. One of the best parts: knowing we’d want to remember every word, Shaun had written his speech in a letter and mailed it to us ahead of time, postmarked with the date of our engagement - a keepsake we’ll truly always treasure. Even though we’re coming up on ten years together this June, it still feels like we’re just getting started. We’re so excited for what’s ahead and can't wait to get married!!