Before Jess headed to Honduras to help with disaster relief work, a charming man named Mike messaged her on an online dating site. They moved the conversation to Whatsapp and got to know each other over the next month while very far apart. They met at the Lincoln Memorial the day after she came home. The conversation was flowing and the date lasted hours but felt like minutes. The second, third, and fourth dates came naturally and it became clear that each person had a unique place in the other's life. They continued into 2021 with plans of a future together in a world of COVID uncertainty.

Mike proposed in the patio of Jess' shared row home in DC alongside her roommates and both of their families. This home has meant so much to them as they've done life in community with her roommates during this last year of pandemic-induced quarantine. The moment was perfect and Jess' breath was taken away with the patio filled with fresh roses, beautiful rose petals, and of course, the man who swept her off her feet, down on one knee.