Need we say more?

Chelsea was ending her summer internship in NYC. Madeline had just moved there on a whim. As fate would have it, the two history lovers would meet when Madeline went to the Hamilton Grange in Upper Manhattan while Chelsea happened to be giving a speech on Eliza Hamilton (their fave!) An hour-long speech turned into coffee, turned into going to a museum, turned into crossing Central Park from West to East in 90+ degree weather, and four hours later they made further plans during Chelsea's last week in Manhattan. (Highlights included Morristown, NJ, the New York Public Library, and Columbia University-- what nerds.) Chelsea went back to California to finish law school at UC Berkeley, while Madeline started her first year teaching in New York City. Their friendship blossomed, however, with frequent visits and text messages. Fast-forward to January 13, 2018, when Madeline texted, "so we're flirting, right?" apropos of nothing. As it turns out, Chelsea was an hour away saying the same thing (probably with more paragraphs.) They agreed to give long distance a try... ... for less than four months. Chelsea moved to New York in May of 2018. They traveled! They got a cat! They introduced one another to their respective cultures and heritages (Madeline celebrated her first Hanukkah, Chelsea celebrated her first Easter!) Then, they got engaged.

Madeline and Chelsea are planners. They planned to get engaged on their one-year anniversary: January 13, 2019. They made plans with their friends. They bought complementary engagement rings. They got manicures! And then Chelsea spoke to her best friend, Dana. Dana, a Capricorn like Madeline, said something along the lines of wanting her future engagement to be a surprise. When Chelsea relayed this to Madeline, she replied that she wouldn't mind a BIT of a surprise. (By which she meant, some trinket from Etsy or the like.) Instead, Chelsea's mind went to work. If Madeline wanted a surprise, she would get a surprise! Instead of proposing on their anniversary (a Sunday), Chelsea would make them Engagement Chicken the night before and do it then. That way, the could soak it in at home and have time to call family and friends. The more Chelsea thought about it, the more it made sense. Now, Chelsea is a faster eater than Madeline. But that night, Chelsea ate especially fast as her heart pounded away with nerves. (What if Madeline hated the surprise of a night early?!) As she thought through all of this, Madeline, happily eating away, said, "this is the best chicken I have ever had." That's when Chelsea knew it was time. She made an excuse to get up and went to grab Madeline's engagement ring. When she sat back down, she told Madeline that the name of the chicken recipe was engagement chicken and she thought they should get engaged right now. As Chelsea pulled out the ring, Madeline said, "No. NO," very firmly, because this was NOT the plan! They weren't even wearing makeup! But she had hearts in her eyes and Chelsea put the ring on her and she went to get Chelsea's ring. And so they were engaged. The next morning, they gave each other anniversary cards and, as it turns out, they got each other the same card, which is exactly why they fell in love in the first place.