She saw him in poetry class. He was tall, cute, and had an impressive talent of memorizing and reciting William Butler Yeats. “Does anyone know my poetry crush? Conor McGinley?” she asked around. A guitar-playing writing tutor, she heard. She needed to meet him! He saw her as she ran by on the way to her BOP interview. He watched as she chatted with thirty five other students… How did she know everyone?? “Do you know Monica?” he asked his friends. She's a great writer, involved around campus, and she’s super smart, they said. He needed to know her! One introduction at a Suites Hall dorm party and a few shy glances from across the classroom later, they both found themselves at the PC Hockey Championship celebration. Through the flames and smoke of a burning couch on the euphoric streets of Providence, they locked eyes... with a strange boy from their poetry class climbing the flagpole in his underwear. Conor and Monica laughed together, and he finally asked for her number. The following weeks consisted of a series of on-campus dates, and an endless flow of conversation and connection. They wrote essays together, received meningitis vaccines together, and ate expired soup together. So romantic! They couldn’t believe how perfect “together” felt. The night before his birthday in April, Conor texted his parents: "Can I bring a friend to my birthday lunch?" Little did Conor’s parents know, the “friend” was their future daughter-in-law. In May, Monica invited Conor to her favorite place in the world. The magic of Lake Winnipesaukee convinced Conor to ask Monica to be his girlfriend. Eight years later, on August 12th, 2023, that same magic inspired Conor to ask Monica an even bigger question. Both times, it was a yes! ♥♡

Monica knew something was up as soon as Conor wanted to leave the house before 9am. "A little adventure," he said vaguely. They started driving, taking the graceful bends into the New Hampshire Wilderness. Monica, completely and hopelessly in the dark as to where they were going, made sure Conor took the right at the fork, and the sharp left at the top of the hill. Abenaki Tower was a favorite hike of Monica’s since childhood because of its stunning views overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee, and its total distance of about twenty seven steps. The five minutes of hiking used to feel like a marathon, but this time, she savored every second. Memories crunched beneath her New Balance sneakers: of carving her name into the wood with a key, of climbing the trailside boulder, and of spotting the Castle in the Clouds from the top of the tower, thinking, “That’s where I’m getting married one day!” They made it to the top. Conor gulped and reached into his backpack, suspiciously too prepared for a walk through the woods. “I have something for you,” he said with a sly smile. Surrounded by one hundred years of graffiti, their story became: Con + Mon 2015-2023 & Forever!