In the summer of 2019, Dallas began his PhD at Hopkins and bought a house in Baltimore; one big enough for him and his two beloved dogs, Bella & Bonnie. Meanwhile, Elise was across the ocean in Switzerland, completing her Master’s degree. Their paths would soon cross in the most unexpected of ways. In February 2020, Elise came to Hopkins for her PhD interview, and Dallas was in charge of recruitment. At the end of the weekend, Elise sat down and told Dallas she was planning to come to Hopkins, proudly showing off a Hopkins hat she had just bought. What she didn’t know was that Dallas had done the exact same thing the year before: same hat, same chair, same excitement. Smiling at the coincidence, Dallas invited her to an after-recruitment gathering at his house, where Elise first met Bella & Bonnie. In August 2020, Elise moved to Baltimore, and at a small welcome party Dallas hosted for new students, they finally had their first real one-on-one conversation. For Elise, it was just another evening, she doesn’t even remember the conversation. But for Dallas, time stood still, and he quietly fell in love. In just one conversation, he knew he wanted her in his life, whether as a friend or something more. Over the months that followed, friendship blossomed into something deeper. They spent countless hours together, studying, writing grants, w(h)ine nights, walking Bella & Bonnie, and searching for Baltimore's best chicken pot pie. Once Dallas finally tried to move on and go on a few dates, Elise realized the truth: she loved him too. One evening, she ran across Patterson Park and met Dallas on the corner, breathless and smiling, to say the words that changed everything: “I love you.” Their first official date was at Dutch Courage, a local gin bar, where they shared their first kiss. Soon after, Elise’s lease ended, and Dallas asked her to move in. Together, they transformed his once-bare home into a place vibrant and full of life. They built things with their own hands, and filled the space with love and laughter. Elise even convinced Dallas to start taking vacations, leading to adventures across the US, Europe, and beyond. During a trip to Canada, after Dallas had begun to carve out what his future career might look like, they had a heartfelt conversation about what lay ahead. Elise’s response was unwavering: complete support, love, and faith in him. In that quiet, honest moment, Dallas knew deep in his heart that he was ready to marry her. As their relationship grew, so did their dreams for the future. Elise wandered into a jewelry store with a friend to see what kind of rings she might like. Dallas, ever perceptive, already knew. With a little help from her friend, he returned to that very store on Halloween night (Elise’s favorite holiday) to buy the perfect ring. They built a life not just with furniture and travels, but with family traditions too, spending holidays in Chicago with Elise’s family and in Arizona with Dallas’s. During a New Year’s trip to AZ in 2024, Dallas decided it was time to ask Elise the most important question of all. They woke early to watch the sunrise at Horseshoe Bend. As the first light touched the canyon, Dallas suggested they reflect on their journey; the adventures, the home they had built, and the love they had found. Then, with the sun rising over the horizon, he got down on one knee and asked Elise if she was ready to keep building a life with him. Overcome with joy, she said yes! What Elise didn’t know in that moment was that the handcrafted ring box Dallas had presented her with had cost him dearly, literally. Determined to make it himself, he had almost cut part of his finger off in the process, finishing the box through blood, sweat, and tears. To him, it was worth it, a symbol of everything they had built together: imperfect, hard-won, but filled with love. And now, surrounded by family and friends, Elise & Dallas are ready to begin the next chapter of their story, together.