On an unseasonably warm October 2nd, 2021, I went to brunch with my friend Koemi at Tweet (in Chicago). We had such a great time catching up that we wandered off after brunch in search of another spot for a drink. The first bar was closed, so we kept walking, and eventually ended up at Fat Cat. We grabbed a seat on the patio and started sipping our cocktails, but out of nowhere, it started to rain; we ended up going inside to the back room with the pool table and shuffleboard. After a bit, our server Faith wrapped up her shift and asked if we wanted to stay and have someone else take over. We said yes - and then, there he was. Jacob walked up to us to introduce himself as our new server, and the second we locked eyes, the entire atmosphere in that room changed. It truly felt like one of those cheesy, rom-com “you’ve found the one” scenes - only it was actually happening in real life. I have never experienced anything like it before. He felt magnetic, and I felt like I needed to know him; in some ways I felt like I already did. Every time he came near us or spoke with us, my heart jumped, and my stomach was a nonstop swirl of butterflies. I also remember hoping he didn’t notice how bad I was at shuffleboard and pool (I later learned, he notices everything)! Eventually it was time to go home, and out of nowhere I was hit with a need to leave my number for Jacob; I quickly wrote my number on the receipt for him to text me if he wanted to grab drinks sometime and promptly RAN out of the restaurant hoping he didn’t see it before I left (just in case he was not interested or already seeing someone - I didn’t want to be mortified). Before I even finished walking home, I got a text from an unknown number, “To be honest I was hoping you’d leave me your number” and I still remember the pure joy I felt in that moment. Even though he’d worked all day, Jacob agreed to grab drinks with me after his shift (I knew if we waited another day, I would totally chicken out). Even waiting for those few hours was so nerve wracking - I literally had not even seen his whole face yet (he was wearing a face mask while working) - but something just felt right. I decided to trust my gut, and I’m so glad I did. When I walked into Uptown Lounge and spotted him waiting for me in a booth by the window, all the nerves melted away. He looked even better than I expected without a mask, and when we started talking, the conversation flowed so easily - I didn’t have to overthink my words or act differently to impress him - he truly seemed to like me exactly how I was. We chatted and smiled and laughed for hours. And every day has been brighter since. Sometimes I wonder, what if one little thing had gone differently that day? What if I hadn’t gone to brunch, or we went to a different part of town? What if the first bar we tried hadn’t been closed? What if it hadn’t rained? What if we’d left when our first server’s shift ended? What if we sat somewhere else? So many things had to perfectly line up that day for things to end up how they did, like the universe was steering me toward him all along. When I found out Jacob’s last name was Wolfe, I immediately thought about my tattoo of a wolf skull with flowers blooming around it. I got it done almost exactly two years prior to meeting him. The words I used to describe the meaning behind it at the time were, “Everything in this life is transient. No matter what you’re going through, one day you’ll wake up and realize that the hardships that once made you feel buried were actually what you needed to bloom.” I remember that tattoo day distinctly, picking the type of skull I wanted for the tattoo, not knowing why I felt so drawn to the idea of a wolf. Maybe it was always you, Jacob Wolfe, that I was meant to find in order to bloom.

From that first day meeting, Lauren and I were inseparable. I felt in my heart that this was right. Being around her was just so easy. We made each other laugh. We liked the same corny activities. We connected on a level of empathy for others unlike any I’d experienced. Lauren even brought me home to Charlotte for Christmas to meet the family just a couple months later. The trip only solidified what I already knew - that I wanted to share my life with this woman. A few months later it was time to either renew the lease on my own apartment or move-in with Lauren. It seemed fast, so I ended up signing a lease with two of my best buds a couple miles away - I think I spent one night there in the entire year. We had already become too intertwined. In March of 2023 we took the trip of a lifetime, as we followed Taylor Swift in the opening leg of her tour. This was the final decision point for me. There were so many emotions. Lauren was enjoying learning my favorite sport, baseball, from the lens of an enthusiastic Cubs fan. The spring training game before opening day featuring our custom St. Paddy’s day/Cubs/Taylor Swift shirts was a dream come true - and the day would only get better. Winning a contest to watch the opening night of The Eras Tour from floor seats, I will never forget looking over at Lauren during the performance of “Love Story” and formulating my plan. I knew I would ask her to marry me. We officially moved-in together (as I packed my stuff into Lauren’s already stocked apartment!). I’ll never forget the final things being moved in and noticing the sign that Lauren kept in the kitchen denoting “Home of Lauren, Lucy & Peanut”; my name had been added under Lauren’s. I felt perfectly at home - where I was meant to be. Some months later, we traveled to Los Angeles for the closing of the U.S. leg of Taylor’s tour, lucky enough to be joined by my brother, Jonah - a newly recruited Swiftie. We worked together on the plan for him to record me proposing at the perfect moment during Taylor’s performance of “Love Story” on Lauren’s birthday. One of the most magical moments of my life. The shock and love as she realized what was happening - I will always remember that moment. We both knew how right this was and never looked back. We have traversed some of the roughest times - such as losing our beloved Peanut. Our support of each other in those times strengthened our bond. We realized we could face anything as long as we were together. We have also enjoyed some of the best times - vacations, goofing around on nights off together, developing our hobbies/interests (and Cubs fandom) with each other, and of course the adoption of Chase, the newest addition to our family. Most recently, we moved to a quiet and lovely suburb outside of Grand Rapids. This move has been so beneficial for both of us. Certainly, a cross-state move is never easy. Again, we found comfort and support for each other through the most trying of times and only felt optimism for all of the things to come; whether they are bad or good, we will be in it together.