In late July of 2018, close friend (and bridesmaid) Elena Kennedy hosted a small get together at her house in Litchfield for her birthday. Both high schools friends and college friends were invited, groups of which Cat and Mike were included, respectively. Cat showed up to Elena's house that evening thinking it was going to be a normal night hanging out with some friends, none the wiser to the fact that her life would soon change forever. When Mike first walked through the door with friends Ardit and Logan, Cat knew immediately he could be The One. They hit it off right away, talking the entire night, and both realized the person in front of them was something special. The following week Elena received texts from both Cat and Mike, each asking about the other. Elena, being the amazing wingwoman that she is, gave them the other's number and the rest was history. They started talking everyday and a couple of weeks later went on their first date. When Mike asked Cat where she wanted to go for their date, he probably expected a different answer than "let's go to the mall for a bit and then stop by Olive Garden after." From Cat's perspective, going to the mall was keeping it 'casual' and Olive Garden would give them unlimited breadsticks and salad, which was about all she could manage to eat with all the butterflies in her stomach (the bill was literally $18). Despite Cat going into her junior year at Salve Regina in Newport, RI and Mike going into his senior year at UConn, they both liked each other so much that they were willing to go the distance. That mere 70 mile distance between them soon grew to 3,500 when Cat studied abroad in Spain for her second semester of junior year. Their relationship just grew stronger during that time apart, and both Cat and Mike were excited to continue seeing each other during Cat's last year at Salve (cut short by COVID). Fast forward to 2025, where Cat and Mike are enjoying their apartment together in South Florida with their two cats. These past seven years have been filled with endless laughs, delicious meals, and unforgettable vacations together. They have grown so much as individuals and as partners, and know that no matter where life brings them next, they will always be home to each other.