Their paths crossed over fall break in 2021. Reed was in Chicago for a lighthearted "moms & roommates" trip when she got an unexpected message from Jacob on Instagram: Jacob: Here's my Foodies of SLU submission (with a modest photo of chicken enchiladas), but I'm more interested in who runs the account. Reed: Smooth! Jacob: Smooth enough to get your number? I don't use Instagram all that much. Something about it—the charm, the timing, the chicken enchiladas maybe?— they just clicked. A few days later, Reed and Jacob had their first date at Protagonist cafe in St. Louis. What was supposed to be a simple coffee date turned into a three-hour deep dive into everything: ideas, debates, stories, laughter. Three years later, Jacob got down on one knee on Bull Head Trail, a few miles shy of Mt. LeConte in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Saying "yes" was the easiest thing Reed has ever done (hiking up the trail? That's another story...)