Ash and Gabe met on November 1st 2014 at IHOP of all places. Ash, along with her sister and a friend were dressed as anime characters and wanted some breakfast. Immediately, they were met with host, Gabe, who instantly recognized the cosplays! Gabe wasted no time chatting with the group once they were we seated and served. To be honest, they all lost track of time geeking out and Gabe nearly got in trouble with their boss. Before leaving, they shared contact info, but never messaged one another. Despite losing touch for a couple years, fate had other plans.Two years later, during an afternoon statistics class, Ash noticed Gabe sitting on the other side of the classroom. Ash approached Gabe to confirm it was, in fact, the IHOP host from years ago. The two became fast friends, texting every day, walking each other to class, and hanging out at each other's houses. After community college, Gabe enrolled at the University of Iowa and Ash stayed in Illinois working at a bakery. The long distance friendship between was difficult, but it only strengthened their bond. It wasn't until Thanksgiving of 2019, during a holiday trip home, that Ash asked Gabe out during a date at none other than IHOP itself. And the rest is history ❤