C: It all started in our social work policy class on a cold day in January 2017. M: It was the last semester of both of our masters' programs and the only class that I had attended that combined both clinical and macro students - so quite lucky to have met you then. C: I sat next to you because Jelani (our close friend) was sitting on the left of the empty seat to your right. But I was immediately glad I did. Shout out to Jelani Drew-Davi! M: I would like to say for the record that you seemed more than happy to be burdened with sitting next to me. You immediately started talking to me as if we'd known each other for years. I was wracking my brain trying to remember where I knew you from. But, we hadn’t previously met one another. As that first class went on, you simply continued being your wonderful bright self, seemingly towards me, and I loved it from the get-go! C: Between your gorgeous jawline and your perfect auburn braid, falling against your plaid flannel shirt, yeah, I was more than excited to be sitting next to you.

M: Okay, my love. So fast forward to our first Valentine's Day together at Pizza Hut where we had our spontaneous first date thanks to a last minute cancellation of our Civil Rights class. I spewed my heart out to you about my life up until that point, and ideas for the future. C: I knew even from that early conversation how self-aware you were, how set you were toward your own healing, and how much capacity you had to be vulnerable and honest. I have loved that about you from the beginning. M: I'll add that your warmth made that open sharing possible and is still one of my favorite qualities about you today. C: From that first day, our connection continued to grow. The night you made me fried catfish, collard greens, and mac n cheese was the night I said “I love you”. M: Being the introverted pessimist that I am, I don't always enjoy the people around me and when I do deeply and organically connect with someone, it stands out. The degree of trust that we have, I hadn't felt before. So, you told me you loved me, I was stunned into silence and first needed to process. 3 days later, I felt ready and excited to share my feelings with you as well, to tell you that I love you.

CasSandra proposes to Megan C: By February 2019, we'd already been talking about getting married for a year, but even before that, I knew that I wanted to marry you. M: Like in many things, our processes are different and, after hearing from you that you were thinking about marriage, I took my time to process that and the fact that I also wanted to marry you. C: End of February 2019, we had proposal number one. You confirmed for me at dinner that you were ready, and I wasted no time. You fell asleep on the couch, watching TV after dinner. I snuck upstairs to paint "Will You Marry Me?" in glow-in-the-dark paint on galaxy construction paper and taped it to the ceiling right above our bed. M: It was perfect. I laid down at my favorite time of day, saw the greatest invitation I could imagine posted above me, and Tessa ran over with the ring attached to her collar. You got down on your knee in front of me and asked me to marry you. Megan proposes to CasSandra C: We talked about proposal number two beforehand as well. But all the questions you asked in planning could never have prepared me for the most romantic and thoughtful proposal. M: I loved the excitement of planning your proposal. Every step along the way was a little spark of joy for me. Going up to DC for ring shopping with Lina, reaching out to our community to set a date, and trying as hard as I could to decipher what the hell a treehouse engagement party theme meant. C: Well, ya nailed it. It meant the world to have our people at the engagement party. The scavenger hunt was a nostalgic journey back through some of our sweetest memories. I know we will have bright, shining, life-changing moments together in the next 80 years. But the joy of you proposing to me in Chimborazo Park is something I will always struggle to put words to, and never forget.

M: I know that you are the person I want to do this journey with. You are my greatest love and favorite human. C: I won't pretend that I have been patient because I can't wait to marry you. But I think two proposals and years of engagement was just right for us. Let's do this. M: I'm in. For the sunny days, the rainy days, the summers and the winters. All the turns of the wheel, you will have my heart and partnership XOXO