It all started in our Literature class at Bentley back in 2016, when I went back to my roommates and said something along the lines of "that cute guy Tom Lennon is in my class...". We didn't really talk in that class, but there were only 8 people total, and I think I was the only one in the class that actually read the books :) We had a number of mutual friends at Bentley so our paths crossed many times since that class. Tom will likely tell you he tried to talk to me and I didn't give him the time of day, but that's not how I remember it. I always had my eye on Tom. Things started progressing in the Fall of 2017 when Tom finally asked for my number at the end of a frat party. It was the end of the night, my friends and I were likely the last ones on the dance floor (as usual). The DJ was playing "Where is the Love" by the Black-Eyed Peas, I threw a bit of a scene because the DJ decided to end the party in the middle of that song (who does that?). Tom swoops in, and casually asks for my number promising he would invite me to the next party and they would make sure to play that song again to make up for it. The rest is history. JK - Tom didn't text me for a few months after (really, Tom?!). It wasn't until my 21st birthday party when my roommate Kelly came up to me and said "If you're serious about Tom, you need to make an effort tonight." That night, in my Falcone West 200 dorm room, Tom and I sat down in the middle of my birthday pregame and hit it off immediately. I think in that moment, both of us realized how easy it felt and that this could be something special. I was excited to go out that night, but unfortunately had a little too much fun at my birthday pregame so didn't make it out. Tom was already at the party with my friends (who he didn't really know) - so instead of going somewhere else, he stayed at the party with my friends and got to know them. My friends came back from the party and told me how great of a guy Tom was for sticking around and getting to know them. My friends mean the world to me, so knowing he got along with them and made an effort with them that first night made me like him even more. (Tom also famously called my friends "a riot" that night, and we spent a good hour deciding if that was a good thing or a bad thing (lol). The verdict is it was a compliment(?).) The next day, Tom (finally!!) texted me. I remember being so excited, getting butterflies every time I talked to him. For our first official date, Tom offered to cook me dinner in my junior year dorm room. He went out and got all the ingredients to make homemade chicken marsala, which is quite the grand gesture in college. At the time, I was so impressed that 1) he could cook (!) and 2) he put in all this effort for me on our first date. I drank wine while he cooked (not much has changed), and the rest is history :) Now let's get married!

It all started back at Bentley University, in a class neither of us really wanted to be in, African American Literature. We both needed to finish our English elective requirements, and fate (or the registrar’s office) sat us in the same room. I remember noticing her right away, smart, confident, beautiful, but at the time, I was in another relationship, so I didn’t exactly shoot my shot. Even though we didn’t talk much in class, our social circles overlapped. Bentley was a small school, and I would run into her at parties, Greek life events, and random hangouts. I would try to strike up a conversation here and there, hoping to see if there was any spark or interest. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem mutual. She was typically mute, polite smiles, and then drift off to talk to someone else. I wasn’t sure if she was completely uninterested, or if maybe my good looks left her too speechless to respond. (Still undecided on that one.) It might have also been the vodka, hard to say. Even so, she stuck in my mind. Every time I saw her, I would think, “Man, I wish she would just give me a chance.” I didn’t know it yet, but some of our mutual friends had started picking up on the tension, or maybe the lack of progress. One day, her friend Kelly came right out and asked me, “Are you into Holly or what?” I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Of course I am,” I told her, “but she never gives me the time of day. I’ve practically given up!” Luckily, Kelly didn’t let it end there. She and my buddy, Matt decided to play matchmaker. Their plan? Use Holly’s upcoming 21st birthday as the perfect excuse to force us into an actual conversation. That night, everything changed. Maybe it was the birthday vibes, maybe it was fate finally doing its job, but Holly and I ended up talking for real. No interruptions, no quick exits, just the two of us actually getting to know each other. And for the first time, it felt effortless. Now, to be fair, she didn’t make it out too far that night, turns out, a 21st birthday can get the best of anyone, but that conversation was the beginning of everything. From that night forward, we started spending more time together. There were late night talks, a few bottles of wine, a home cooked meal, and a growing feeling that this was something real. Looking back, I can’t help but laugh at how close I was to missing my chance. If it hadn’t been for Kelly and Matt’s matchmaking, or that one required class, or even all those small “almost” moments at parties, who knows if we would have ever gotten here. It’s funny how love works sometimes, it doesn’t always start with fireworks or a grand gesture. Sometimes it starts with an elective you didn’t want to take and a birthday party you almost skipped. Now, all these years later, that same girl who barely noticed me back in college is the woman I get to call my fiancée, soon to be my wife. I guess patience and a little persistence really does pay off. Love you, honey.