In 2020, during the height of COVID, Gabby was finishing her undergraduate degree from home while Nathan was working remotely in his business role. That September, their paths crossed in almost a cliché, Hallmark-movie way—Gabby was working a shift at the restaurant Station 343, and Nathan was upstairs attending his best friend’s wedding. They ran into each other, started talking, and quickly felt a connection. With public restrictions still in place, their first date was a cozy take-out pizza night at home. From that moment on, the rest was history. Since then, they’ve navigated countless changes side by side: Nathan completing the academy and transitioning through job changes; Gabby graduating from NIU and moving to the city to pursue her doctorate; learning how to navigate a “medium-distance” relationship; adopting their dog, Vader; moving into their first apartment together; and most recently, finding a house to call home. What began as a chance meeting between two strangers living 30 miles apart has grown into a life built together—and a future as lifelong partners.