Our story began almost five years ago on a May night in Brooklyn. Ray arrived at the restaurant in what he thought was his best outfit (a black t-shirt and khakis) ready to make an impression. Denise meanwhile was doing her best just to find the restaurant, getting a bit lost along the way. Not long after Denise arrived, the pair realized that the evening would be worth the delay. Following a night full of laughs and shared dishes, Ray walked with Denise to make sure that she got home safely, and they ended the night with a kiss. The couple continued to see each other over the summer, growing close as they explored the city and met each other's friends. Their affection for one another became evident when, during a trip to Hawaii, Denise got stuck on a mountain while on a sunrise hike. Rather than call for rescue, she called Ray in Brooklyn! (Denise made it off the mountain safely.) That fall, Denise returned to law school in Michigan, and the couple began what would become two years of dating long distance. In the first year, Denise would often fly home to New York to visit Ray and her family. In the second year, Ray would often travel to Washington, D.C., where Denise had moved for work after law school, to see Denise and his family. But after two years of airplanes, trains, and buses, the couple decided that the distance had gone on long enough. Ray packed his things and moved to D.C. to be with Denise and their dog, Charlie. Before long they knew the next step was obvious. By the following year, Ray had proposed—and Denise said yes.