We met one chilly November day when I (Chelsea) was on my way to work at Pier 55 in Seattle, WA. I walked into a Potbelly Sandwich shop on a whim, because, as I recalled from a recent trip to New York before they I moved across country, that Potbelly had some pretty good sandwiches, and had vegan options - which was a requirement for me at the time. Instantly there was attraction, and while Shawn was making my vegan Mediterranean sandwich, conversations about how we both ended up in Seattle and why we made our respective journeys from Kansas and Virginia immediately gave us something to bond over. On the way to work the next day, pondering quitting my current job at the Pier already, I decided that if that cute person was working again that day then I would go back in and try to talk to them again. This ended with Chelsea filing out a paper application and receiving a call the next week for an interview. When Chelsea started working at Potbelly with Shawn, they were under the impression that they would be able to start some sort of relationship, but quickly they found out that Shawn was *gasp* a manager, and thus their instinct to date would have to wait since such relationships were not allowed - per company policy. It took about 2 weeks before they both revealed their true feelings to each other, but their relationship had to remain secret until Chelsea quit Potbelly for a job waiting tables five months later. The rest, as they say, is history.

For many, 2020 started off a bit rocky. Things seemed to be going downhill fast after Kobe Bryant and his daughter passed away suddenly in a tragic helicopter crash. Shawn, the romantic of our relationship, decided shortly after that, when you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, you want the rest of your life to start right now. Shawn had purchased the ring recently and had been waiting for the right moment to propose, and after the tragic news of the Bryants, Shawn could wait no longer. On January 29, 2020, Shawn got home from work around 11 pm and headed to the bedroom to, what Chelsea assumed, was to change into comfy clothes to hang around for the rest of the night. After a LONG while, Chelsea decided to go check on them in the bedroom. When they came through the door, they saw Shawn in their nicest Hugo Boss suit and a simple black box in their hands. It took Chelsea a moment to realize what was happening and that it was for real - once they did, with both their cats, Carlos & Madeline present, Chelsea enthusiastically said yes! Shortly after the proposal, as we all know, the world took an interesting turn and any wedding plans were marked as *tentative*, until now. :)