RMS, where Hailey had worked for about a year, was hiring for a senior position in her team. Since she was not being considered for the job (much to her chagrin), Hailey instead decided to look forward to having some punk to boss around and act superior towards. That air of superiority lasted for about 45 seconds on the day Teddy was toured around and introduced to her, as she managed to spill an entire glass of water on her keyboard while standing up to shake his hand. Later, after several drinks of not-water which were not spilled, Hailey declared her dislike for Teddy with the now-famous quote, "I SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU!" He asked for forgiveness for existing by purchasing her a shot of fireball whiskey. Hailey called it even.

As summer turned into fall and fall into winter, it became apparent that while Teddy was really good at planning dates, Hailey was really bad at recognizing she was on one. After planning an especially detailed outing across the East Village, the two sat at a candlelit table and enjoyed dessert (well, Hailey enjoyed dessert, Teddy doesn't like dessert but was willing to make the sacrifice). They recapped how lovely the evening had been, and Hailey famously declared, "You're such a good friend. Like, you should date my sister!" But fortunately, Teddy was nothing if not persistent, and they were officially together by Thanksgiving.

After about two and a half years of schlepping between Hoboken and the East Village or another place in Hoboken and Chelsea, Teddy finally managed to kidnap Hailey and all her stuff in a U-Haul, take her across state lines, and establish a home with her in their dream apartment in Chelsea. And by dream I mean the New York City Dream, which is 300 square feet with faulty wiring, a hole in the bathroom ceiling, half-size appliances, and two adults in a full-size bed with feet touching the wall. But the LOCATION! The two fell more and more in love with each other and with the city.

On the morning of Friday, May 25, 2018, Teddy woke Hailey with an iced coffee and "This is Halloween" playing on the speakers from the living room. This in itself was not completely out of the ordinary, but they were taking the day off of work to enjoy that special springtime feel in New York, when the sun is shining and the air doesn't yet smell of hot garbage. Teddy had made plans for a fancy lunch in the Upper West Side, so they got dressed up and ducked into Central Park to visit some favorite spots (and maybe see that famous instagram duck). They wandered around for a bit, took some selfies and enjoyed their coffee. They happened upon a spot in the park that they had visited on one of their first dates near the pond, though instead of a mud pile and a bench it was now a cute gazebo (#gentrification). Teddy started weirdly lingering and looking around. "Alright let's keep walking" "Do you uh remember when I told you that you were a really good friend?" "No, I told you that." "Well do you want to be uh really good friends forever, HAILEY MARIE MITCHELL WILL YOU MARRY ME!" The first words out of her mouth after that were a yelp which certainly stirred all the passersby on that picturesque Friday morning: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" She then began scream-crying which didn't make the bystanders any more comfortable, but then she let out a "YES!" that let them know she consented to this madness. Teddy had hired a photographer who spent the next hour with them, visiting all the rest of their favorite spots in the park. They had champagne at Tavern on the Green, beers at Barcade, and stayed the weekend in a gorgeous Central Park hotel. Hailey was asked many times if she knew "something was up" that week, and though she had rapidly googled "think bf will propose this week what do", the truth is that her life with Teddy had always been full of loving, thoughtful surprises at every turn up until that point, and that week in May felt no different. She was glad it was.

And so this brings us to the current day. As if planning a wedding wasn't enough for the year, Teddy accepted an incredible new job as a director in enterprise risk management at a large commercial insurer in Chicago, which means that Hailey gets to fulfill her dream of being a full-time plant caretaker (oh, and continuing her work on actuarial/regulatory compliance for the RMS models, but remotely). They will relocate from NYC to Chicago in mid-April. The couple's new address is 3750 North Racine Avenue, Apartment 2, Chicago, IL 60613! The two are ecstatic -- though admittedly overwhelmed at times -- at all of the exciting new adventures that 2019 will bring them both individually and as a (MARRIED!) couple.