Emily’s Version (The Correct One): We first met at a mutual friend’s Christmas party in 2018. Will was dressed as Buddy the Elf from Elf (yes, really), and somehow he absolutely pulled it off. We stayed up all night talking, ordered pizza at an unreasonable hour, and eventually fell asleep on the same couch. Some might say it was the perfect first date… even if we didn’t realize it at the time. Will’s Version: A year later, 2019 at that same friend’s annual oyster roast, I met Em for the first time. We stayed up all night talking about our favorite things, laughing nonstop, and realizing how easy everything felt. It was effortless. Natural. Clearly the beginning of something. Somewhere in the middle of those late-night conversations, Emily informed me that we had actually met before — at a Christmas party where I was dressed as Buddy the Elf. Depending on who you ask, our love story begins… somewhere. The exact starting point is still under friendly debate. The Plot Twist We went on several dates in 2019, but neither of us was quite brave enough to officially make it “relationship territory.” So instead, we did what any two rational people would do — we became friends. Fast forward through years of friendship, timing, and a little growing up… In 2023, we went on what we now call our “last-first date” at Clare and Don's Beach Shack in Falls Church, VA. Same spark… different origin story.