We first met in our Brain and Behavior class sophomore year. We sat next to each other in an effort by both of us to sit near a mutual friend. Andrew spent most of his time in the class developing a crush on Annie and playing Pokemon on his computer. We began to bond over shared frustration of our professor and the most elite sense of humor. Andrew asked Lauren, a sorority sister of Annie’s, if Annie was single and learned that, sadly, she was not. One day, Annie passed Andrew on campus and impulsively exclaimed “hey! I think we should be friends!” (not knowing of his infatuation). Naturally, Andrew was sure that Lauren had outed him (she had not). Alas, they decided to consider each other friends. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. The times were… unprecedented. After months of social distancing, virtual classes, and general isolation, the future looked bright. A new algorithm had come to bestow gifts upon the students of W&L. The Marriage Pact. Designed to match each participant with one romantic partner on campus based on your answers to a series of questions related to values, preferences, and personalities. We were… almost a perfect match in the 99.96th percentile. At this point, Annie was now single, studying for the MCAT, and awaiting her 21st birthday. Annie reached out to acknowledge this strong compatibility, and Andrew proposed drinks. Annie asked for a rain check, seeing as she was a week out from taking the MCAT and turning 21, and Andrew was sad, thinking Annie blew him off. Fast Forward. The following school year. October. A senior class has graduated and a class of freshmen has replaced them. The Marriage Pact is back, with new questions and new candidates. Yet still, we match again, one of only two couples to match on both occasions, at 99.95% compatibility. This time, Annie knows the universe is telling her to make sure this date happens. She sends a text reading: “well this time I’m 21! And done with the MCAT!” So, they made plans for drinks at TAPS. Annie’s go to order was the “Wedding Bells”, but she didn’t order it as that felt intense for a first date. We each had one drink but remained talking for over two hours. On our second date, Annie wanted to introduce him to her dog, Harriet, and they brought Andrew on her favorite walk to the gazebo on W&L back campus. In December, Andrew officially asked Annie to be his girlfriend, and she accepted. We spent the remainder of our time at W&L together and just before the end of our senior year we drove together to Ohio to add another pup to our little family - Chester. After graduating from W&L, Annie went to Shreveport for LSU Medical School and Andrew went to New Orleans for Tulane Law School. Annie later decided to leave medical school and moved to D.C. to work in public health. Many plane, train, and automobile trips were had to visit each other. On March 8, 2025, after dating for over 3 years, we went to Lexington for the weekend. Andrew suggested a walk to the W&L back campus gazebo with Harriet where we had our second date. Andrew threw Harriet a tennis ball and when Annie turned to watch, he got down on one knee. She was tipped off a few moments before when she heard him tear open his velcro pocket. Also, he accidentally presented the ring upside down, but these were exactly the kind of things that made her love him so much. Annie, of course, said yes! Andrew surprised her with a pitcher of the “Wedding Bells” drink she had refrained from ordering years ago on their first date. Andrew graduated law school a couple months later and got a job at the Virginia Beach Public Defender. Annie decided to pursue a masters in social work to become a therapist and started in August. We moved into a cute house near the beach with a nice backyard for Harriet and Chester in June, and are loving our life together! We can’t wait to celebrate our marriage with all of you in April!