we're getting married

Ethan and Nikki had been friends since freshman year of college. In the spring of their junior year, there was an IC Voicestream party which Ethan attended, but Nikki did not. Planning to ask Nikki out that weekend, Ethan decided to just text her and ask if she wanted to hang out (without Voicestream if you can believe it). Nikki, who had planned to make moves of her own—thank you very much—was super pumped to say yes.

Ethan and Nikki were living in Winter Park, Florida while Nikki attended Full Sail University. One day, Ethan was browsing nearby animal shelters online ("just for fun"). He found Aussie & Me Animal Rescue, where a Dachshund / Border Collie mix named Jitterbug was residing. The plan was to foster Jitterbug while Nikki finished grad school; however, when Ethan and Nikki were introduced to Jitterbug in person, Jitterbug crawled right into Nikki's lap and Nikki's heart exploded. Nikki and Ethan took her home, renamed her Scully, and the little family was truly complete.

Towards the end of a visit with Ethan's parents in Geneseo, Ethan asked Nikki if she wanted to stop in Ithaca on the way home. They went to Ithaca and took a nostalgia tour of their old college town: they ate lunch on the Commons, drove around campus, and even did a quick drive-by of the old haunted house Nikki used to live in with her friend, Robyn. The last stop was Buttermilk Falls, and as they made their way down the gorge, Ethan told Nikki he had invited her to Ithaca under false pretenses. He asked if she wanted to get married, and she cried and put on the ring. Her answer is still unclear.