December 31, 2017. Gillian had come to Sonoma County to visit her dear friend Dani, and go out for some New Years fun. At the time, Dani was living with Evan at his house in Geyserville. Gillian and Evan had been hearing about each other for years, but had not yet met. On this particular afternoon, Gillian and Dani were lounging on the couch when Evan arrived home from his workday at the farm (looking fetching in his overalls, if this narrator does say so herself). Their eyes met across the living room. "Oh, THIS is Evan?" Gillian mused, struck by the handsome stranger who had just walked in. "Oh, THIS is Gillian?" Evan thought to himself, tickled at his luck that a pretty lady had just shown up at his house. Afternoon turned to evening. More friends arrived to get ready. Evan and Gillian played it cool, but kept their eyes on each other. Gillian admired Evan's easygoing, jovial nature. Evan endured Gillian's dance moves. Through the 11 o'clock hour, Gillian and Evan found themselves in the greenroom at Sonoma Cider, taking a break from the night’s dancing. They chatted easily. Evan knew a lot about plants. From the stage, a countdown: "5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1! Happy New Year!" The two stared at each other. The one with the lower tolerance for awkward silences asked if she could kiss him. He said yes. Spring saw the beginning of planting season, and after a few attempts, a first date (pro tip: ask a cute girl to come work at the Farmer's Market with you). Summer brought river days, strawberries, peppers, and Fourth of July fireworks. Early autumn was marked by kale, more strawberries, a trip to a thing in the desert. Winter arrived again. This time, New Years was spent at Gretchen’s house: a festive communal dinner, a toast to good friends, and a night of dancing. Sometime in the 11 o’clock hour, Evan and Gillian had taken a break from dancing, and were snuggled up chatting on the couch. This time, Evan broke the moment of silence with a question. She said yes.