On Friday, December 10, 2021, Carla was working at Khoury's with her friend Laurie. After wrapping up, the two struck up a conversation with a man named George. When Laurie left, Carla and George continued chatting. It was then that Justin entered the scene. He placed his beer near George and asked if he’d “watch his beer” while he went to the restroom. Carla joked, “How do you know he won’t spit in it?” When Justin returned, he noticed the seat next to Carla and asked if it was available. Carla mentioned she had friends coming but that it was free for now. Justin took a seat and soon found himself in conversation with both Carla and George. As they talked, Carla and Justin discovered they were both from “Rochester”—just in different states! Carla asked if Justin was on Untappd, and while he admitted he was, he didn’t remember his password. Seizing the moment, he asked for Carla’s phone number so he could “figure it out later.” Numbers were exchanged, and the evening grew even more lively when Carla’s friends Marc and Lindsay arrived. The group enjoyed plenty of laughs, including a moment when Marc mistakenly thought George was Justin’s dad! The next day, Marc texted Carla, confessing, “I took one for the team and kept George busy so you and Justin could get to know each other.” Despite the promising start, nearly a week passed without a word from Justin. Unsure what to do, Carla texted her friend Sam for advice. Sam wisely said, “What do you have to lose? Just text him!” Carla took the leap, texting Justin to ask how his week was going. He responded immediately, explaining it had been a busy week and asked if Carla was free the next evening for a drink. Carla said yes—and the rest, as they say, is history!

In September 2024, Carla and Justin were planning to travel to Italy to celebrate Carla's parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Carla's friends speculated that an engagement might be on the horizon, thinking Italy was the perfect romantic setting. But Carla dismissed the idea, saying, “No, I don’t think it’s happening now. We’ve barely talked about it.” What Carla didn’t know was that six weeks before the trip, Justin’s boss, Kevin, had taken him to The Jewelers during work hours to keep the proposal plans a secret. A week later, when Carla visited Kim and Amy in California, Justin seized the opportunity to pick up the ring. Once in Italy, Justin patiently waited for the right moment to ask Carla’s parents for their blessing. One day the family went to Pisa to climb the Leaning Tower. During lunch, Carla’s sister Lindsay went to the restroom and to shop for a t-shirt. Carla joined her, giving Justin the perfect opportunity to talk to her parents. He nervously began, “Your daughter has made such a positive impact on my life, and I want to ask your permission to marry her. I know we’re here to celebrate your anniversary, and I don’t want to take away from your special moment.” Before he could finish, Carla’s mom excitedly interrupted, “You can propose at our anniversary dinner for all I care!” Justin reassured them it wouldn’t happen that day but sometime during the trip. As emotions ran high and tears began to flow, Justin noticed Carla and Lindsay returning to the table. He quickly clapped his hands on the table and said, “Game faces everyone!” Carla remained blissfully unaware. The following day, the family explored the walls of Lucca before returning to the apartment to relax. Carla and Justin decided to stay out, planning to do some shopping. As they left, Justin casually suggested, “Let’s go back up to the wall.” Carla, slightly puzzled, asked, “Why? We were just there earlier.” “There’s a spot I wanted to get a picture of,” Justin replied. Carla reluctantly agreed, and they set off. As they walked, Justin searched for the perfect spot he had seen earlier but soon realized there was no way to access it due to the walls. Pivoting quickly, he suggested, “Let’s check out the park instead.” Carla, now slightly annoyed, asked, “Can you just tell me what you’re looking for?” They arrived at a shady area of the park, where Justin noticed an elderly Italian woman power-walking past them. Stalling for time, he pointed to a tree across the way and said, “Maybe that’s the spot.” Carla, visibly frustrated, turned to look. As soon as the woman passed, Justin called her name. Carla turned back to find him down on one knee, holding a ring. “Oh! Are you serious?” Carla exclaimed in disbelief. Then, without hesitation, she said, “Yes!” The two hugged, shedding happy tears. In a daze, they walked for about an hour, finally finding a place to celebrate with a drink. Excited and overjoyed, they returned to the apartment to share the good news with Carla’s parents and sister.