We met 4 years ago while working at Stony Brook Hospital in New York, where Victor was a resident and Danielle was a medical student. After months of crossing paths and enjoying each other's company, we knew we couldn't get enough. I distinctly remember Victor's wide smile as we'd pass each other in the hospital hallways, and we couldn't resist our small opportunities to take a break, share a laugh, and enjoy a brief moment of stillness in our hectic days. Before long, we crossed paths over a shared patient in the Emergency Department, and Victor finally worked up the courage to ask me out for ice cream. We've been hooked ever since!

When Danielle moved to North Carolina to start her residency, we embarked on our year-long, long-distance relationship. Our first opportunity to spend vacation together was a 2-week break in September 2020. We packed our things (including Athena, of course!) and set out to Wilmington for a relaxing break at the beach. Nestled in a beautiful neighborhood and prioritizing a comfy, cozy outdoor vibe, our B&B was the perfect place to pop the question. The backyard was a beautifully manicured garden, lit only by overhead market lights during nighttime hours. We'd spent the day exploring Wilmington, the beach, and all the romance that the coastal town had to offer, and we ended our night with a romantic dinner-for-two on the front porch. As we made our way in for the night, Victor led me to the backyard, where he nervously asked me to "lock it down" (an inside joke we've since cherished) and knelt down on one knee.

We met, became friends, fell in love, and built the foundation of our relationship in Stony Brook, New York. We have some of our first (and many of our fondest) memories here, including our first date eating ice cream on the beach, our first adventure to the North Fork of Long Island, and Danielle's first time meeting Victor's parents in Montauk. After Match Day 2020, we knew we'd be starting "the rest of our lives together" in Chapel Hill, NC, where we'd hoped that Danielle would match for her Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency. After finishing his Clinical Informatics fellowship, Victor moved down to North Carolina to join Danielle and Athena. This is where the three of us would start our lives together --where Victor would Propose, we would buy our first house, adopt our second pup Calliope (Callie for short!), plan our wedding, and start our lives as future husband and wife. This is why we knew that North Carolina was the perfect place to welcome our families and to celebrate our wedding day.