Stephen moved to Birmingham, Alabama in the Summer of 2018 to begin fellowship. While he knew Jenn would be a co-fellow of his it wasn't until a fateful day at Sloss Music Festival in Birmingham that they would finally meet. Stephen was wandering through the crowd looking for a friend and was considering leaving to go home and sulk about his new city and lack of friends. Just before leaving his phone rang and he saw "Jennifer Smedley" as the caller, a contact provided by the fellowship program. They spent the rest of the day enjoying music and conversation and while they would not start dating for a few months Stephen knew immediately Jenn was someone he wanted in his life.

Jenn moved to Denver, CO in the Summer of 2019 to start her job at Children's Hospital Colorado. Stephen accompanied her on the drive from Alabama and after getting her settled and a tearful goodbye they began 2 years of long distance. While it was rarely easy Stephen and Jenn made things work across many miles and a global pandemic through FaceTime calls, remote date nights, simultaneous TV/movie viewing, virtual board games, and of course frequent visits.

After much creative planning, coordination with a secret photographer, distraction from a recognized car, and surviving a belly full of butterflies, Stephen surprised Jenn by getting down on one knee and proposing at Red Rocks. Their dog Jake was there to oversee the proposal and provided his approval. Red Rocks has long been a special place for Stephen and Jenn and holds even more importance in their lives now.