On August 6, 2014, Christine and Cris agreed to rendezvous at Weeks’ Footbridge along the Charles River near Harvard University. Each proceeded to this destination on two wheels. Christine — a confident, veteran city pedaler. Cris — still fresh to the potholes and curves of city cycling, but sufficiently able on his ten-speed. Once all four wheels converged, their plan was to pedal the additional 3.2 miles to the Esplanade together, arriving where the city had programmed a free yoga class for the public. And so they pedaled and pedaled. And pedaled. Yet upon arrival, they saw a social media post that the yoga class had been canceled. They could have been sated here, knowing full well the round trip would climb to 10 or so miles, but neigh, these two sought additional adventure. Christine suggested grabbing dinner and drinks at Cambridge Common (the restaurant, not the open green space where George Washington assembled his troops beneath the elm tree; see Massachusetts’ official state tree). And so they pedaled 4.4 miles further, sat down, and ate. Over her beer flight, Christine told Cris about her work but what stood out to him was her passion for learning beyond work. She was learning Python, a coding language, and lining up her graduate studies in Environmental Sustainability at Harvard Extension School. Cris regaled her with anecdotes from his art and media projects and spoke at length about his undergraduate literature studies. It was clear then that Cris was curious about the world, bold in the challenges he took on, and a fantastic storyteller.

Their second date was derailed when Cris split open his thumb while retrofitting a drone with new parts for work (he required stitches - and sent bandaged photo evidence), and more than a month passed by while they kept in touch but kept missing each other. Each thought there was something special worth exploring. One Saturday, Cris invited Christine to a homemade pizza gathering to which she said yes, despite knowing that it would directly follow her own potluck dinner that same day. She would happily leave room for pizza if it meant getting to spend more time with Cris. That evening, the two got to talking and at night’s end, Christine and Cris had their first kiss. Soon after, Christine attended a housewarming party at Cris’s new apartment where Cris's penchant for entertaining and storytelling was on full display — imagine a small crowd wholly enraptured around the makeshift kitchen stage that Cris had created with his words and gestures. It was also clear that his performance wasn't shallow, but instead an authentic representation of joy and engagement. He would bring the same care, attention, and joy to his one-on-one conversations with Christine as he did his larger gatherings.

Not long after, Cris invited Christine to his improv-themed birthday party complete with bespoke cocktails and comedy props. It was an evening filled with laughter, conversation, and a variety of friends that by their mere presence spoke to the kind, engaging, and authentic person that Cris is. Christine knew then that Cris is the kind of person she had always hoped to find and walk with through life. By the time Christine’s birthday rolled around in October, Cris had seen Christine in her element too — past the outer layers of this data-minded sustainability advocate with a penchant for Brazilian jiu jitsu, he recognized a woman who valued experiences over material things — the kind of woman who took the care to resole boots that were worn but loved. Cris knew he had met someone who would fight for the things she cared about, waste little, and meet complex challenges, especially culinary ones, head on with a smile. Cris provoked creative challenges out of his love of learning and drive to deconstruct how things work. Together, they leavened bread.

Christine and Cris had been living in Austin, Texas for three years but returned home for the winter holidays to spend time with family and friends. Cris had procured a modest ring from a company whose designs he knew Christine loved, which had 5 small stones to commemorate each of the 5 years they had been together. Ring in-pocket, he laid out a plan. They would head in for an evening of reminiscing in Cambridge, head to the Harvard Co-op bookstore, and in the games section, Cris prompted Christine to “Pick a card deck, any card deck.” "Any card deck??", she responded, pointing at a card deck that did not contain the traditional suits, or any suits for that matter. She thought that she knew what he generally meant, but not knowing the full intent of the deck, just had to ask. After a slight course correction, a four-suited deck was in hand and the two headed to Burdick’s Chocolatier. Here, Cris knew the white hot chocolate Christine had been missing in Texas could be found. With hot chocolates in hand and the suspense prolonged, Cris laid out why they had gone all the way into Cambridge to procure a card deck, an item which they most certainly had at home. Cris laid out The Game. Christine would pull a card from the deck and if it was a Diamond, it would prompt an expression of something Cris loves about Christine. If it was a Spade, it would be something that Cris dug up that he had written or gathered about Christine over the past 5 years. If it was a Club, with its clover shape, it would prompt Cris to note a way that they had grown together or a hope for what together they might build in the future. And if she drew a Heart from the deck — a kiss. At any point, Christine could shout “steal!” and take the prompt for herself to reflect on Cris.

With hot chocolate to help keep them warm, the pair embarked on a walk along the bricks in snowy Cambridge, ambling towards a destination Cris would not reveal and all while playing the card game. Cris had prepared 8-pages to draw from in case all cards were drawn before reaching the destination, but the pace was lively and Christine stole her fair share of cards, making for a playful dialogue and reflection on their love — past, present, and future. Ultimately, they arrived at the base of Weeks’ Footbridge at the spot where they had met, 5-years earlier. The glow of the bridge lights over winter snow added a little magic to the moment. Cris described the bridge as symbolic of courtship, and recognizing the creep of the cold, expedited his remarks, got down on one knee, and proposed, as one does. And so with a yes, the now engaged pair crossed the bridge, symbolizing their love and commitment to each other and the life they would build for themselves. Yes, there was a nice meal afterward, but that, dear reader, is another story.