It all started at a West Virginia University football tailgate in September of 2019. A mutual friend (The Grace Lindsay) was determined to introduce them, claiming they were “basically the same person.” After a quick introduction and a laugh, that moment passed with no hint of what it would circle back to. For the next two years, the connection stayed friendly from a distance. Eventually, Ernie convinced MacKenzie to visit him in Pittsburgh. She was skeptical, not wanting to spend a weekend surrounded by Penguins fans (fair) but, something told her to give it a chance. What started as an easy friendship quickly became something more meaningful. Through long talks, endless laughter, and getting to know each other more deeply, their relationship naturally began to grow. Shortly after, Ernie drove to her hometown for their first official date. The day was spent kayaking, losing track of time in endless conversation, followed by brewery hopping because nothing says romance quite like craft beer flights and pretzel bites. And from that day on, everything just felt right.