These two met in the millennial way, with a swipe to the right. Sammantha was instantly smitten with Shea's smile. Since COVID was still going strong, the first date was done virtually. Shea said that Sammantha was so beautiful that she might need to wear something to help Shea not to stare. So naturally, Sammantha took the opportunity to make Shea laugh. When the screen came on, Sammantha was wearing a hoodie (hood up), sunglasses and a face mask, at 10 o'clock at night. The level of comfort was almost instantaneous. Though at the first in person date, the nerves came back tenfold. Sammantha couldn't stop talking (even more than usual) and Shea couldn't seem to get words to come out. Though Sammantha wasn't looking for things to get serious, it was hard not to with how connected she felt to Shea. It was a short while before each others kids were introduced as one can only do dates without children for so long. Shea's kids found fun in creating a nickname for Sammantha which has still stuck around to this day. Not Miss Sam, but Ninja Sam. Family is very important to both Shea and Sammantha and so the kids getting along was vital. Thankfully there seemed to be no problem with that. Over the next three years there were many adventures that happened. From anniversary trips that always had a curveball (i.e apartment floods) to pulling shenanigans while out and about on the town. The love only grew for each other. In time Shea and Sammantha moved into their first apartment together. It was a tight fit at times for 6 people. But news broke that there was a baby that needed a home. Once Shea and Sammantha heard the story, they quickly put together the pieces to make a little more room in their family. And it has been amazing. But with this new addition, more space was needed and so after some long talks, Shea and Sammantha started the house hunting game. It didn't last long though. Sammantha likes to brag that she knew, even though it was only the second house they toured, they had found the perfect house on the first day. And it was. There was been fun birthday parties and quarantine Christmases and the kids have found a way to make the spaces their own. Recently with political power in transition, Shea and Sammantha have had to have hard talks about what their future might look like because that chance might not be there in the future. It is a dark place to be but there is light at the end of this tunnel. Shea took the time to make this moment not about the government and the impending clock on their rights as a queer couple but about the love that they have for Sammantha and the future they want to share together. So a long day of cleaning and chaos (typical for their household) Shea got down on one knee and asked Sammantha (in her pajamas) to be their wife. On March 23rd 2025, Shea and Sammantha had an intimate ceremony and celebrated with a kid free night of snacks and games. With the paperwork out of the way the next step will be celebrating with everyone at the Happily Ever After Party.