Our first date was exactly what you’re not supposed to do. We sat in the Dogwood pub in Jamaica Plain and both proceeded to unpack every piece of emotional baggage we could conjure up. Funny thing was, rather than being cloudy and down, we couldn’t help smiling and laughing. Those handsome smiles, the candlelight, the beers….we took all those stories from the past and put them on the shelf. And before you knew it, what we were left with was just us! The next thing you know, date night was a weekly event. Wednesday night. And the next thing after that, date night lasted from Wednesday through Sunday—skipping Thursday for hockey. Must have been the third date night, so third week we knew each other, and we planned our first weekend away to a soccer tournament in Provincetown. Must have been the fourth date night and Elliott shared a text he sent to his mom:….Mom….I think I love him….

We had a rule: we couldn't talk about getting married until we had known each other for a year. So we spent a year "not talking about getting married" and instead fantasized about what our life together would be. After year one, we came to an important decision: we both wanted it! We decided on a plane back from Fort Lauderdale that Elliott should do the proposing because it needed to be done right. He didn't disappoint! A romantic video in a lyft that got stopped at every light it wasn't supposed to, then a surprise party with all our friends at our favorite pub, the number one gay sports bar in North America, live Irish music, video chats with Texas, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Ireland! We even had a candelabra! Then a romantic hotel room with a view of Boston....two super jocks head over heels and living the dream!