Charles and Alison met in 2021 when they both started graduate school at the University of California, Irvine. They became fast friends after meeting on a walk in Laguna Beach. Upon learning that Charlie was from Pleasantville, NY, Ally exclaimed "how the heck did we grow up 30 minutes a part but we met in Southern California?!?!?!" This was the start of a fruitful relationship. After a few months of friendship, many Eureka hang outs, and a lot of essays later, they realized that they were meant to be more than just grad school friends. Becoming significant others was the easiest decision for them to make and remains one of their best. They both knew early on in their time together that they were serious about being a constant in each other's lives. In the summer of 2022 they adopted an orange tabby. Caught up in Dune fever, they named the little guy Paul. And the next year, they adopted a second tabby who they named Silanah after a character in the Malazan series, Charlie's favorite books, who has many nicknames (Sil, Silly, Silks, Sloinks, Slinker, etc.). The pair spent many days combing through books and articles in their offices while they made progress toward their PhD. During many of their holiday breaks, they spent time in the Finger Lakes region where Ally's parents now live. The Taughannock Falls became a favorite spot of theirs because of the quiet wooded walk to one of New York's largest waterfalls. In Winter 2024 while they were on a walk here, Charlie mentioned the potential of a proposal to Ally which set them on their next path together. During their time together, Ally became increasingly sick with multiple chronic illnesses that had yet to be diagnosed properly. Charlie not only stood by her during these hard times but made sure to care for her and do anything he could to help her navigate these challenges. Ally ultimately had to make the hard decision to leave grad school and undergo an intensive surgery in March 2025. Amidst this time, Charlie was hard at work on his dissertation and designing an engagement ring. Charlie asked Ally to marry him on a beautiful sunny Long Beach day in May of 2025. They sat in the sand outside of their apartment together as they looked out at the water and officially decided to marry each other.