We met one random day on the street. My friend and her buddy were having one of those “guess my age” challenges when Joe, out of nowhere, jumped in and said, “I bet you can’t guess my age.” Feeling a bit feisty, I shot back with, “55!” He laughed and said, “Ouch!”—but he was clearly taking it well. Then I decided to return the favor and asked, “Well, how old do you think I am?” Without missing a beat, he nailed it: “28.” I was so mad he was right that I shot back, “35!” and stormed off like a drama queen. Fast forward to that week, and we kept bumping into each other—at the gym, at my work (which, by the way, was conveniently across from where he lived). It felt like the universe was conspiring to make us cross paths. Then, one evening, I was chilling at a bar, tucked away in a corner, waiting for a friend. Out of nowhere, Joe turns the corner, lights up like it’s Christmas morning, and shouts, “It’s YOU!” We spent every day together after that. And since then? Well, we’ve had spontaneous adventures, traveled the world, had tons of laughs, and built this awesome life together as a blended family. Feels like fate had a pretty good sense of humor!

Our last night in New York felt like something out of a movie. We spent the evening lost in the magic of Wicked, then soaked in the smooth sounds of a jazz club with Joe’s sister Lisa, her boyfriend François, and his niece Hannah. It was the perfect way to end our trip—until Joe decided to make it unforgettable. As we stepped out into the rainy city night, Lisa and I were chatting when she suddenly said, “Turn around.” And there he was. Joe, kneeling on the wet sidewalk, rain glistening in the streetlights around him. My heart stopped. My first reaction? Seriously? Right now? In the rain? So, of course, I nervously blurted out, “You’re gonna do this now?” He just smiled—that knowing, mischievous smile—and said, “I knew I loved you when you stalked me and lied about your age. I can’t imagine a life without you. Will you marry me?” Three years of waiting, and in that moment, it all made sense. Yes. A million times yes. And because the universe has a sense of humor, just minutes later, a homeless man appeared out of nowhere, congratulated us, and then—because why not—performed a magic trick with a deck of cards. It was ridiculous. It was random. And it was absolutely perfect. We celebrated the only way we knew how—pizza and beers—before heading to the hotel for a whole 90 minutes of sleep. Then came the mad dash to the airport, where we almost missed our flight. Chaotic. Unexpected. A little messy. But completely us. And I wouldn’t change a single second.